Guilty Until Proven Innocent
by HotchRocks
Summary: Three supervisors in the FBI are attacked in their homes and murdered. But when Hotch is attacked but manages to survive despite being severely injured, it turns out Jack might be the only witness to his father's assault. But when the BAU investigates, they find the assailant might be closer than they suspected.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I forgot this so I am inputting it now. Criminal Minds is the property of the Mark Gordon Company, ABC Studios, and CBS Paramount Network Television. The canon characters are the property of CM and I am just borrowing them right now.**

 **Guilty Until Proven Innocent**

" _Being a father has been, without a doubt, my greatest source of achievement, pride and inspiration. Fatherhood has taught me about unconditional love, reinforced the importance of giving back and taught me how to be a better person."_

 _Naveen Jain_

 **Chapter 1**

He tentatively left his bedroom once the yelling below had stopped and it had suddenly gone quiet. Not that the child didn't enjoy periods of quiet, but for a mysterious reason his child-like mind did not comprehend, this quiet made him uneasy. He made his way to the top of the stairs which led below to the living room, his small hand gripping the balustrade. To him things had become too quiet and it worried him. Had he been left alone in the house?

Only the loudness of tires screeching away from the house shattered the silence.

"Daddy?" the child's scared voice called out getting no answer.

Barefoot and donning blue pajamas, he clung to the railing as he quietly crept along the carpeted steps. With the lateness of the hour, he knew he should have been asleep long ago, but found himself unable to close his eyes again. The loudness and noise from below had not only scared him but kept him awake. So when things became quiet, he decided to sneak downstairs and find out what happened.

"Daddy?" he called out again pausing midway on the staircase. Again getting no answer, the child took another tentative step. "Daddy, where are you?"

With still no reply, the child found it puzzling considering every living room light blazed, and the front door wide open. His dad never left the living room door open, the lights on, and him alone in the house. Something most definitely is wrong. He needed to find his dad. He continued warily along the rest of the steps until he reached the bottom and entered the living room.

His eyes widened at the horror which greeted his eyes. They took in a sight no child should ever be forced to witness. He ran forward as fast as his short legs carried him with fear taking control.

* * *

Dave Rossi grumbled in his sleep and turned onto his stomach hoping to block out the incessant ringing. His black lab, Mudgie, lying on the foot of the bed, had been disturbed by his master's actions, raised his head and stared at him, annoyed. But after a few seconds, the dog went back to sleep. But the ringing still continued.

With a groan, Rossi raised himself up on one elbow and glanced at the clock on his nightstand; it read just after two in the morning. As he cursed under his breath in Italian, he switched on the night lamp, grabbed the receiver, and pressed it to his ear.

" _Damn it, Aaron, this had better be important! I just fell asleep!"_ he griped.

"Daddy, please wake up," the small, frightened voice, not directed at him, stopped him in mid-rant. "Don't leave me the way mommy did."

His anger gone, Rossi bolted upright in his bed. Why did Jack Hotchner call him and especially at this hour?

"Jack? What's wrong? Are you okay?"

Rossi didn't need to be a profiler to realize from the boy's voice that something was terribly wrong.

"I'm okay, Uncle Dave. But something's wrong with daddy. He won't wake up for me."

Rossi's blood froze in his veins, and he felt his heart drop into his stomach. Losing his only child when he was only a day old, he considered Hotch a surrogate son and Jack a surrogate grandchild. To lose either of them would be a blow he knew he knew he wouldn't recover from. He was about to ask Jack about his dad again when he heard the boy calling for his father to wake up with no answer.

"Jack, what's wrong with your dad?" Rossi had thrown his covers off and now sat on the edge of the bed, sliding his feet into his slippers.

"I don't know. He's on the floor and won't wake up when I call him. There's a lot of blood and I'm scared he's gonna die like mommy did."

"He won't leave you, I promise. I'm gonna have help there in a few minutes. Rossi reached for and grabbed his cell phone off his night table while he had Jack on his land line. He dialed 911 on his cell. "Is anybody there with you?"

"No."

Rossi got to his feet. He knew what he had to do and do quickly or Hotch might bleed out before help could arrive.

"Listen to me carefully, buddy. I want you to keep trying to wake your dad until help arrives."

"Okay."

Rossi ended his call with Jack. When a 911 operator answered, he gave them Hotch's address, and explained that the injured person was a Federal agent and demanded an ambulance be sent. He next dialed JJ's number, hoping she would be home. Besides living only fifteen minutes away from Hotch, she was also a mother and would know how best to help Jack.

* * *

Jennifer Jareau aka JJ, reached an arm out from beneath the blanket covering her entire head, and grabbed the receiver. She hoped to answer the phone quickly before the ringing woke up her two young children sleeping across the hall. She brought the receiver under the covers, pressing it to her ear.

"Hello…" she said sleepily, her eyes still closed.

"JJ, its Rossi."

JJ stifled a yawn as she pulled the cover off her head but kept her eyes closed, her hair mussed. "Please don't tell me we have a case," she asked. "Will and I were asleep. And why…"

"JJ, its Hotch. He's been injured."

Now wide awake, JJ threw back her cover and sat up in bed. Using her free hand, she turned on the lamp on her nightstand. "What happened? Is it bad?"

"Jack just called me. I don't know exactly what happened, but apparently Aaron is unconscious on the floor, there's blood, and he can't wake him. I have an ambulance on the way."

"Is Jack all right?" JJ asked fearfully.

"I think so. At least he said he was all right."

"What do you need me to do?"

"He's alone in the house. I'll head there as soon as I contact the rest of the team. But I need you to go there and be there for him."

"I'm on my way. Bye." JJ hung up her phone as she felt movement beside her.

"What's wrong, Cheri?" asked a sleepy male voice.

"That was Rossi," JJ explained as she hurriedly threw on some clothes. "Somehow Hotch was injured at home. Jack is there alone. Rossi thinks Jack's okay, but he's not sure. He's also got an ambulance on the way and wants me to help Jack until he and the team get there."

JJ's husband, New Orleans Detective, William LaMontagne, raised himself up on one elbow and watched his wife grab her cell phone and credentials off the night table. LaMontagne was friendly with all the members of his wife's team, and considered them part of his family. And the knowledge that one of them had been injured sickened him.

"Want me to come with you? I can take care of Hotch while you look after his son."

"Thanks, but I can handle things," she said as she gave his lips a quick peck. "I need you to stay here and look after Henry and Michael. I'll call you when I get a chance. Gotta go."

She ran out of her bedroom and her front door to her car.

* * *

Driving as fast as she dared, JJ arrived at the Hotchner house in record time. She spotted the ambulance, its back doors open, parked outside her boss's home and eased her car behind it. She hurried from behind the wheel and raced toward the house, weaving her way through several uniformed officers going in and out of the Hotchner residence. But when she reached the front steps she was stopped by an officer. She reached for and quickly brought out her credentials, holding them up for him to see. The officer looked into her eyes and could tell she dared him to turn her away or stop her from entering.

Nodding, he allowed her to pass. But as she started up the steps, she was without warning confronted by two attendants coming out the front door carrying a gurney between them on which lay an unconscious Aaron Hotchner. There was a white sheet pulled up to just under his chin. Equally caught off-guard, the attendants paused for a split-second which gave JJ a quick look at her Unit Chief causing her to gasp.

Hotch's face was bloody, battered, and bruised. There was a pressure bandage wrapped around his head and stained with blood. A cervical collar was wrapped around his neck to stabilize his head, and there was an oxygen mask covering his nose and mouth. In fact, if it hadn't been for the rise and fall of his chest, she would have believed him dead.

She covered her mouth with a clenched fist as her eyes welled with tears. It pained her greatly seeing her boss and friend in this deplorable condition. _"Who could have done this to him?"_ she asked herself. _"And what about Jack? Did this person hurt him as well?"_ Her eyes widened as fear permeated her body sending a chill through her. Then as if a robot, she managed to move aside to allow the paramedics to pass her.

"Aunt JJ!" a tiny voice shouted seconds before a small tornado collided with her legs and wrapped its small arms around them causing her to look down.

A sobbing Jack Hotchner clung to her as if clutching a lifeline he was afraid to release. Fear that if he did it would disappear. JJ crouched down to his level and hugged the child, shushing him while rubbing gentle circles on his back. He quieted down only a little before pulling back causing JJ's heart to nearly stop as she looked him up and down, horrified at what she saw.

There was blood on Jack's pajamas, smeared on his face, and staining both hands. There was so much blood on the child that JJ feared Jack might have been injured. But there was just no way to tell for sure without a doctor. It was then she noticed another paramedic standing beside her and guessed he must have brought Jack outside.

"The injured man is an FBI agent and my boss. Where are you taking him?" she asked.

"Franklin General Hospital," the paramedic replied. "He's alive but that's about all."

"I'm okay, Aunt JJ," Jack explained with tears rolling down his cheeks. "I don't need a doctor. I wanna be with daddy."

Being a father himself, the paramedic understood Jack's hysterics, and knew it would be cruel for the small boy to see advance medical aid given in the back of the ambulance. "Ma'am, I assure you the child isn't injured if that's what's scaring you. But we'd like to take him in and have him evaluated anyway. But he'll need to ride in the front of the ambulance."

JJ understood the paramedic's concern. 'Thank you,' she mouthed and got to her feet. "Jack, sweetie, you want to ride in the front of the ambulance? Little kids aren't allowed in the back unless they're hurt."

The boy's eyebrows creased together as he thought. "Can I? I don't want Daddy to be alone."

"Of course you can, son," the paramedic explained with a small smile. He took Jack by the hand, but paused and looked back at the blonde.

"You can follow us in your car, ma'am."

"I'll be right behind you. But I need to call my team first so they can hopefully find out who did this to his father."

* * *

Rossi parked his SUV directly outside Aaron Hotchner's house, and slid out from behind the steering wheel while Emily Prentiss climbed out of the front passenger seat; Spencer Reid got out of the back seat.

"So what did JJ say about Hotch when she called?" asked Emily looking at the older man as she shut the vehicle door and tossed a loose strand of her hair over her shoulder.

Rossi let out a deep breath. "Not much except that he appeared to have been badly beaten. She followed the ambulance to Franklin General so she could be with Jack and that he seems okay." He didn't admit how badly he himself wanted to head to the hospital to be with his best friend. But since he was aware he couldn't do anything to help while there, it made more sense for him to help try and find out who did this to Hotch.

"It sounds like this attack on Hotch might be personal," Emily said walking beside Rossi with Reid close behind them. As they approached the uniformed officer who had stopped JJ earlier, Rossi already had his credentials out for review. The officer glimpsed at them, nodded, and allowed the trio to pass,and climb the steps.

"Was Jack able to say anything as to what happened?" asked Reid as they entered the premises.

Rossi took a moment as they walked through the open front door.

"She didn't even try to get him to talk as the poor kid was too frightened at the moment to answer questions. She also wanted him to be checked out by a doctor first and make sure he hadn't been injured. But he is terrified, poor kid, and not up to answering questions at the moment."

"Hopefully later we'll be able to get some answers from him as to what happened here," Prentiss added.

"Hopefully," Reid agreed. "He might be the only one who can tell us who did this to Hotch."

"How come Morgan isn't here?" asked Prentiss glancing around and not seeing the black agent.

Rossi shrugged his shoulders. "No idea. I called him twice at home but all I got was his voicemail. I left a message and told him to meet us at Hotch's. Hopefully he's on his way."

As they walked further into the living room which was crawling with plainclothes detectives, a detective who looked to be in charge, approached the trio and shook hands with Rossi. He also shook hands with Prentiss while Reid gave him an awkward wave of his hand as he didn't shake hands with strangers.

"Agent Rossi, I'm Detective Joshua Brewster," the man announced.

"Detective, this is Agent Emily Prentiss and Doctor Spencer Reid," the older man explained. "Can you tell us anything as to what took place here?"

Brewster let out a deep breath. Realizing he was dealing with an assault on a federal agent, the FBI would take over the case and investigate for themselves. And although he didn't like it, he accepted that fact, as he turned and walked further into the living room with the agents following.

"There's something weird about that. We received a phone call about two in the morning from you. We got here as quickly as we could, and found all the living room lights on, the door wide open, and Agent Hotchner face down on the floor in a pool of his own blood. But what's weird is that about a minute or two before you called, we received a call from an anonymous caller about the same thing."

"Where was his son?" asked Prentiss.

"His son was found clinging to his dad's body refusing to let go even when the paramedics got here."

Prentiss chewed her lower lip as she, Rossi, and Reid exchange looks. Only Rossi's face remained neutral. All three were distressed by the knowledge that Jack had not only present, but may have been witness to his father's attack.

"Where was Agent Hotchner found?" asked a visibly shaken Reid.

Brewster pointed to a medium-size pool of blood soaking the light-colored carpet.

"He was found lying right here in that pool of blood," the detective explained. It was obvious this had affected the detective as well. "At first we thought he was dead because of all the blood." He looked at Prentiss and Reid as Rossi knelt down to get a closer look at the blood pool. "We thought we had a murder case here, so you can imagine our surprise and relief when paramedics told us he was still alive. His eyes narrowed as he noticed Rossi, still kneeling, removing a pair of latex gloves and putting them on.

"Find something?" asked Prentiss as she watched the older man reach into the blood pool and pick up something. Reid put his hands on his knees and leaned over to get a closer look.

"I'm not sure," Rossi said as he held up his hand to get a closer look at what he had found. "Looks like a button from a man's shirt. Can't tell what color it is because of the blood, but it's definitely from a man's shirt." As he got to his feet, he removed an evidence bag from his pocket and dropped the button into it, sealed it, and put it in his pocket until he got it to the lab in Quantico.

"Any sign of a weapon?" Prentiss asked.

"We found an aluminum bat with blood on it beside Agent Hotchner which we believe was used to beat him about the head. He also sustained two stab wounds to his abdomen, but we haven't yet found a knife."

"Where's the bat now?" asked Prentiss, horrified.

"We sent it to our lab."

Prentiss nodded. "We're going to need a copy of that report."

"After our lab is finished, we'll forward everything to Quantico."

Not really paying attention to the exchange between Emily and the detective, but hearing everything said, Rossi removed his gloves. As he did so, he knitted his eyebrows and looked at Brewster.

"You said there was a call from an anonymous caller about the attack on a federal agent having taken place here," Rossi began. "Any idea who made that call?"

The detective crossed his arms and sighed.

"That's another weird thing," he said. "When the 911 call came in, it was determined to have come from inside Agent Hotchner's house."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Chapter 3 is with my beta.**

 **Chapter 2**

Rossi's face remained impassive as the detective's answer didn't surprise him. With his many years with the BAU, UnSubs didn't surprise him anymore. But Prentiss glanced sideways at Reid and knew what he was remembering. Just the mere remembrance of this happening again caused them both to recall the other instance in which an UnSub contacted police from inside a victim's home. Tobias Henkel.

Henkel suffered from multiple personalities named Raphael and Charles. Raphael, a ruthless Archangel hell bent on carrying out what he accepted as God's will, and Charles Henkel, Tobias's deceased evil and abusive father whom Tobias murdered several years earlier. (1)

After entering someone's house, Tobias, the weakest of the three, called the police from the unsuspecting person's home. He warned them of the impending murder of the residents by Raphael with Charles' urging.

"The 911 call came from inside this house, is this what you're telling us, detective?" asked Rossi, not sure he heard correctly.

"This is what we determined," replied Brewster. "Apparently the assailant attacked Agent Hotchner and afterward called 911 to make sure the police came here, although why we don't know yet."

"Sometimes UnSubs want the police to be the first to see their crimes because they're so proud of them," explained Reid. "In fact, years ago we pursued an UnSub with multiple personalities who broke into people's homes. One of those personalities called the police to inform them the other two planned to murder the residents. Only thing he did different here is he called the police _after_ he attacked Hotch."

"Are you serious?" asked Brewster. He looked at the young agent's face for any sign of teasing, but found none. Reid's face remained blank.

"Yeah but, if this guy wanted your agent dead, why didn't he just kill him outright, or leave and let him bleed out? From the blood loss, your agent might not have survived until somebody found him hours later."

"We understand why you can accept this fact," Prentiss said. "But it's not what it tells us."

"I don't understand," Brewster said folding his arms.

"The fact the attacker called 911 afterward tells us he wanted Hotch to be found while still alive."

"Why?"

"Because he has a larger plan in mind and it requires Hotch to be found alive at least for the time being. But his end game does include Hotch's death, but not right now."

"Why did he leave Agent Hotchner's son alive? It doesn't make sense to me he left a witness to his crime unless he plans on coming back for the boy."

"Jack called me just after two a.m.," Rossi explained. "Hotch always puts him to bed around eight at night. So either the attacker waited until Hotch had put Jack to bed, or figured Hotch was alone in the house. That tells us he could have been watching the house. Or perhaps he didn't consider Jack a threat which tells us he wasn't interested in the boy. Either way, Jack will be protected as long as it takes us to find this bastard."

As they talked, Reid's hazel eyes looked around the room before something caught his attention. Walking in the direction of the fireplace, he knelt down in front of the iron stand beside the fireplace while putting on latex gloves.

"See something, kid?" asked Rossi as he, Prentiss, and Brewster looked.

The young genius crouched down in front of the stand, and reaching out a hand, fingered each item hanging from it.

"There's something missing here," the young man said. "There's a broom, a shovel, and a pair of tongs. But no fireplace poker." He looked over his shoulder at the others. "Where's the poker?"

Rossi, Prentiss and Brewster gathered around him, staring.

"You're right," Prentiss admitted. "I don't know of anybody with a fireplace that doesn't have a poker."

Rossi glanced at the detective. "Did you find a fireplace poker anywhere?"

Brewster looked at the agents. "We didn't find one outside, and my men are still searching the house, but so far we haven't found one. Why is it important?"

Reid looked up at the man. "There's no reason for a fireplace poker to be removed from the house unless it was used to inflict injuries on the victim."

"I don't understand," said Brewster, confused.

Rossi had an idea where his teammate was going with his revelation. "There's a reason the attacker took that poker with him and we need to know what it is. Detective, I need your lab to check that bat for any traces of dark hair. We need to know if it definitely is the weapon used to assault Hotch with."

* * *

JJ sat quietly in one of the uncomfortable chairs in the surgical waiting room with an arm wrapped around Jack Hotchner who sat in the chair beside hers. All traces of blood had been washed from his face and hands. Also, after Hotch had been rushed into surgery, his son had been examined and cleared by a doctor which eased JJ's mind. And when she asked about the blood on him and his pajamas, the explanation was that it had been his father's. He then changed out of his bloody clothes and into a pair of child's hospital sweats and a light grey bathrobe. The soiled clothes were put in a clear plastic bag which rested on the chair beside JJ, and had been sealed to keep them from becoming contaminated. They would be needed as evidence.

The boy brought his knees up to his chest, with his feet up on the chair and his arms wrapped around his legs, his chin on his knees. Even though he was no longer crying, sniffles were still heard by the blonde, and she pressed the child closer to her side trying to give him all the strength she could spare.

"Aunt JJ, will you tell me the truth if I ask you something?" the child asked without moving his head or looking at the blonde.

JJ kissed the top of his head. "Of course I will, sweetie. What do you want to ask me?"

"Is daddy gonna die?"

The question startled her causing her body to tense up even as she struggled to remain calm for Jack's sake. JJ was frightened for her boss based on the injuries she had seen just before he'd been loaded into the ambulance. And despite how hard she tried to remain optimistic, when she remembered how Hotch looked when she saw him, the fear they would lose him this time returned.

She swallowed the lump growing in her throat, and wished the rest of the team was here to help. But since they weren't, she took a deep breath and spoke.

"No, he's not, sweetie. Your dad would never leave you."

Sniffling, Jack raised his head this time and looked into the blonde's bright blue eyes.

"How can you be so sure?" he asked.

"Well, for one thing, this hospital has the best doctors in the state working on your dad fighting to save his life. Second, your dad loves you more than anything, and will fight with everything he has in him to come back to you. You need to believe that."

"I want to, but what if all that isn't enough to save daddy?"

"How about you and I say a little prayer asking God to help your dad live and get well."

Jack mulled over what the blonde told him. Then his face brightened as an idea came to him.

"You'll say a prayer with me and ask God to let daddy get well?"

"Of course I will. They have a chapel here in the hospital we can go to. I'm sure there must be one on this floor somewhere. Why don't we go and find it?" JJ got to her feet holding the boy's hand. But after taking one step Jack paused causing her to look down at him.

"What's wrong?" she asked, worried.

"What if something happens to daddy while we're gone? They won't know where we are."

With a warm smile on her face, JJ let go of the boy's hand, and knelt down to eye level. She gently ran both her hands up and down his arms.

"Tell you what we'll do. We'll tell the nurse where we'll be so if they need to find us, she'll know where we went. Okay?"

* * *

Now that the FBI had taken charge of the case, the three agents examined every corner as they walked around the living room. They were hoping to find a clue, any clue, which might tell them who was responsible for the attack on one of their own. But so far, one thing had become noticeable right away to each of them.

"Whatever happened here…" said Spencer. "…it looks like it all took place in this room."

"Looks like it," Rossi concurred. "I got a look at the front door when we arrived. There was no sign of anyone breaking and entering. And other than each of us and Jessica, Aaron wouldn't give just anybody a key to his place. I know not even his younger brother Sean has a key. He was extremely careful to who he gave a key to being a single dad and a federal agent. Also, I noticed his home alarm was turned off."

"That means that whoever did this to him, Hotch felt comfortable enough to let whoever it was into the house," said Prentiss. "And with Jack here, I can't see Hotch letting just anyone into his home and especially if he didn't know them. So it had to be someone he at least was familiar with."

"I agree," Rossi agreed.

Once they finished looking around the living room, the three agents went upstairs to search the master bedroom and then Jack's, leaving the detectives on their own. As they looked around Hotch's room, they were interrupted by the sound of Rossi's cell ringing. The older man paused while searching his best friend's closet and reached into his jacket, grabbing his phone. He put the phone to his ear and listened for several seconds.

"Hold on a minute while I put you on speaker." Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Prentiss and Reid now watching him. He pressed the speaker button. "Go ahead, JJ. Reid and Prentiss are with me," he said.

"Still no word on Hotch," the blonde reported. "If we don't hear something soon, I'm going to corner a nurse and find out."

"You go get 'em, girl," Rossi smirked sensing Reid and Prentiss were behind him listening.

"How's Jack doing?" asked Prentiss.

"I got him to close his eyes and try to get some sleep. He's exhausted from worry for his dad. We went to the chapel earlier and said a prayer for Hotch then came back to the waiting room, but there was no new information. However, Garcia arrived a few minutes ago, frantic and asking a million questions. I tried to talk her into going home as there was nothing she could do here, but she wouldn't hear it. She said only wild horses would have kept her away. Since she was about to have an anxiety attack while waiting for information, I sent her to an all-night coffee shop next door. She's getting two cups of caffeine for us and something for Jack."

Rossi, Reid and Prentiss chuckled well aware of how their tech analyst was when one of them was hurt. They dreaded facing her wrath should she not be told what happened and found out on her own. They knew how protective she was of the entire team.

"JJ, have you heard from Morgan at all?" asked Reid, becoming worried because of the black agent's continuing absence.

"Not at all and he hasn't called. Isn't he there with you?"

"Not yet," Rossi said. "I called him twice and got his voicemail both times. I left a message but haven't heard from him."

"I can ask Garcia when she returns if she's heard from him."

"Thanks," said Rossi. "If he gets in touch with anybody it would be her."

"Will do. Have you found out anything yet?"

"Hotch may have been beaten with an aluminum bat or a fire poker," said Reid. "We won't know for sure until the bat's been examined and the poker's missing. There were no signs of breaking and entering. So it appears Hotch may have let the person in, and the home alarm was turned off."

"Rossi, do you really think one of ours did this to Hotch?" asked the blonde, horrified just thinking of such a possibility.

The senior agent let out a deep breath. "I don't know, kiddo, I really don't. But let me say this…if it turns out it was, I will take great pleasure in taking this bastard down myself."

JJ swallowed the growing lump in her throat understanding what Rossi had meant by 'taking the bastard down' himself. And while neither she nor any of her teammates would purposely kill someone other than to save a life, or in self-defense, she could understand how the man felt. Whenever someone had hurt children, she often felt like doing the same herself.

But her belief in the criminal justice system wouldn't allow her to take the law into her own hands, and she knew neither would Dave Rossi. No matter how tempting it might be to deliver one's own brand of justice, she knew Rossi would do the right thing.

"JJ, you still there?" asked Rossi wondering if he had lost the connection.

"Yeah, but I gotta go. I see a nurse approaching. I'll call back when I know something."

"Thanks. Give our best to Jack, and tell him we'll be there as soon as we finish here."

"Will do. Bye, Dave." JJ disconnected the call and put her cell back in her pocket. As she carefully got to her feet so as not to wake Jack, a nurse with the name-plate saying Jackie, approached her. From the look on the nurse's face, JJ's heart began to beat faster and faster as she feared the worse.

"Are you here for Agent Hotchner?" Jackie asked.

"Yes, and this is his son," she said gesturing to the sleeping child. "How is he? Is he out of surgery?"

"Not yet, I'm afraid," the nurse answered. "He's still alive. But it'll be at least another few hours. The doctor just wanted me to update you on what's happening. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to get back into the operating room."

JJ heaved a sigh of instant relief as the corners of her mouth curled upward. "Thank you for keeping me informed," she said tiredly.

Jackie offered the media liaison her own small smile before she turned and walked away in the direction of the surgical area. As she walked out of the room Garcia walked into the waiting room gripping a paper bag in her fingers along with holding two large Styrofoam cups of hot coffee. She stared at the back of the receding nurse then burst into the waiting room, nearly panicked.

"What was that about? What happened? Is Hotch all right? When is the doctor…." She was rambling as wont to do when scared.

"Garcia, just slow down and take a deep breath," JJ said holding up both hands, palms forward. "Hotch is still alive. The nurse was simply telling me he's still in surgery and it'll be a few more hours."

Garcia let out a deep breath and sat down in the chair beside the other woman. She handed the paper bag to her friend.

"I got a carton of milk and a chocolate doughnut for Jack."

"Thanks," JJ said before she put the bag on the floor near her feet. "I'll save it for him until later. I'd like him to sleep as long as possible. Poor kid was exhausted with fear and worry." She opened her Styrofoam cup, took a sip of her coffee and replaced the lid.

"Garcia, I need to ask you a question. Can we speak privately?"

"Sure. Let's go into the hallway."

With another glance at Jack, the media liaison got to her feet and followed Garcia into the hallway just outside the waiting room, where both women could keep an eye on Hotch's son while he was out of hearing range.

Garcia faced the media liaison.

"Now what did you want to ask me, my golden buttercup?"

"I spoke with Rossi a little while ago. He and the others will be here as soon-as-they finish at Hotch's. But Rossi wanted me to ask if you've heard from Morgan at all?"

Garcia's eyes narrowed as her eyebrows knitted. "What d'ya mean have I heard from my Chocolate Mocha Delight? Isn't he with the others?"

"No. And Rossi called him twice only to get his voicemail so he left a message. So far, he hasn't seen or heard from him and is getting worried."

Garcia felt her imagination taking over.

"Then where is he? Do you think he's been attacked?" she asked, now worried herself. This didn't sound like her Morgan.

"I have no idea. I just hope the argument he had with Hotch yesterday morning had nothing to do with this. It's not like Morgan to hold a grudge against someone, and to not show up to a crime scene." Now she was beginning to wonder if something had happened to their teammate also.

* * *

(1) Tobias Henkel kidnapped Reid and drugged and tortured him in THE BIG GAME and REVELATIONS, Season 2.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Once they finished searching the Hotchner house for clues, Rossi, Prentiss, and Reid exited the premises. They had left the CSI unit behind to not only complete their work inside, but afterwards, to make sure the house was locked up tight before they left. While the three agents were on the scene, they had replaced the local police with as many federal agents as they felt were needed. Everybody knew this was going to be a long night for everyone involved.

As they neared their parked SUV, Rossi opened the driver's side door.

"Are we going to the hospital?" asked Reid as he climbed into the back passenger seat.

"Not right now," Rossi replied slipping behind the steering wheel. "I want to go to Morgan's and check on 'im." He turned on the ignition.

Reid nodded his head grimly, closing the car door. "You think something's happened to him?" the young agent struggled to bury the rising fear.

"Let's hope not."

* * *

JJ and Garcia sat side-by-side in the waiting room with Jack, still sleep in his chair and cuddled against JJ, his head in her lap. She kept her arm around the child. The two women had abandoned their coffee, the half-filled Styrofoam cups on the floor under their chairs and out of the way.

JJ was lost in her own head with scenarios involving Hotch and his current condition as they ran through her mind. She refused to admit he might die, so she tried to steer her mind in the opposite direction, remembering his past serious injuries. It was easier recalling how he beat the odds each time when his demise was assured. And she told herself he'd be fine this time.

Garcia on the other hand, her hands in her lap, twirled her bejeweled fingers non-stop. Letting out a deep breath, she lowered her head, eyes behind black-and-yellow frames and focused on a spot on the floor.

Both women were abruptly brought out of their reverie by a woman with curly blonde shoulder-length hair, dashing through the doorway. She burst into the waiting room causing them to look up at the visitor. It was Jessica Brooks.

"JJ, Penelope…how's Aaron?" Jessica asked, frantic.

"He's still in surgery," JJ explained as she carefully got to her feet and faced the woman, seeing the fear etched on her face. The two women hugged each other tightly while Garcia watched, her cheeks tear-stained and a faint smile on her lips. She moved the plastic bag over one seat and slide over into the now empty seat. When Jessica pulled back from JJ, Garcia motioned for the woman to occupy her former seat.

"Thank you," Jessica replied wiping her fingers across her cheeks. She glanced over at her nephew still asleep in his chair and smiled. "How is he?" she asked.

"He's coping," was the reply as JJ ran a hand over the child's hair. "He's taking his dad's situation hard."

Jess swallowed the growing lump in her throat. "Is what Agent Rossi told me true? That Jack was in the house when Aaron was attacked?"

"I'm afraid so. But we're not sure yet if he saw or heard anything. He hasn't been able to tell us yet."

Jess licked her suddenly dry lips, afraid to ask the question she needed to ask after what she had been told on the phone earlier.

"Be honest with me, please…."

The media liaison's crystal blue eyes studied the woman's face. "If I can. What do you want to ask me?"

"Is Aaron going to die?"

While JJ didn't want to outright lie to the woman, she didn't want to tell the truth either. In the end, knowing what Jess had been through with Hotch all through the years with his job, being honest might be the best way to go.

"To be honest, it doesn't look good. And while I don't know how much or what Rossi told you, I can try and answer any additional questions you might have."

Jess hesitated. There was so much she wanted to ask right now. But with her nephew there, she decided she would hold the bulk of her questions until later.

"Agent Rossi wouldn't be specific, but he told me Aaron was seriously injured."

"He was beaten and stabbed. That's all we know right now."

" _Oh my God!"_ Jess cried into the hand covering her mouth, muffling her sobs. "Who would do this to him? I know all of you make enemies on your job, but would somebody do this to him in his own house with his son present?"

"We're not sure yet." JJ felt movement beside her and glanced over, seeing Jack shift positions but thankfully remain asleep.

Tears welled up in Jess's eyes and threatened to spill down her cheeks. Knowing her nephew had been in the house at the time was almost too much to handle right now.

"All I _can_ say with absolute certainty is that however it turns out, Jack's going to need you more than ever to get through this. You're going to need each other."

Jessica squeezed her eyes shut and buried her face into her hands. JJ reached over and ran her hand in soothing circles on the woman's back hoping it was comforting.

"It'll be okay, you'll see," Garcia said in a low voice wrapping her arms around Jess, leaning the side of her head on the woman's back. "Bossman will make it. He wouldn't leave us, you, or mini-Hotch. And should you or Jack need any help getting through this, all you gotta do is ask, and we'll come a-runnin'. I promise."

* * *

The streets for the most part were empty when Rossi parked in front of the house where Derek Morgan lived. The three agents got out of the vehicle and with purposeful strides, made their way to the front door. Rossi knocked on the door as all three agents noticed the house shrouded in darkness causing their tension to heighten. There was no answer. Rossi knocked again more loudly this time. Again there was no answer, but they could hear barking from inside.

"Sounds like we woke up Clooney," remarked Prentiss referring to Morgan's dog as she scanned the dark windows for any sign of movement. "Nothing in the windows."

Rossi removed the key to the black agent's home and unlocked the door while reaching for and pulling out his service weapon as did Prentiss and Reid. At this point they needed to be ready for anything.

Glancing over his shoulder, the others nodded they were ready. Rossi opened the door, and all three quietly entered the darkened living room, weapons facing forward. He flicked the light switch on the wall near the door, and lit up the entire living room. They glanced upstairs hearing a dog barking.

Rossi glanced at the brunette. "Emily, check out the rest of the downstairs. Reid, you come with me." He led the way upstairs.

As Emily veered off to check out the other rooms, Rossi and Reid cautiously climbed the steps to the upper floor.

* * *

When they reached the upper floor, Rossi and Reid were drawn to the closed bedroom door from behind the barking had been and still was heard. They also heard scratching at the base of the door.

"Sounds like Clooney's trying to get our attention," Reid whispered.

"Then let's not disappoint 'im," Rossi replied in an equally soft voice as he gripped the door handle and turned it, opening the door. The senior agent flicked the light switch on the wall illuminating the bedroom. They could make out a human form under the blanket snoring lightly. A large bulldog, originally so eager to get out, now playfully rubbed up against their legs as they warily advanced toward the bed. Rossi reached down and scratched the dog's head and gently pushed him out of their way. As they stood closer to the bed, Rossi lifted the blanket and both breathed a sigh of relief when they got a good look at the face. It was Derek Morgan and he was apparently sleeping.

The agents lowered their weapons. Rossi reached over, gripped Morgan's naked shoulder and shook the man.

"Derek, wake up! Derek!" Rossi shouted repeatedly. The only response he got from Morgan was a grunt as he tried to pull away, annoyed at being disturbed. _"Derek!"_

"Huh…wha….wha's up…?" a sleepy Derek Morgan mumbled as he opened his eyes just a crack and glanced at the two men standing above him even though he couldn't focus.

"Rossi?" Morgan said, slightly slurring his voice as he closed his eyes and rubbed his eyes with his thumb and forefinger before opening them again. "What are you and Pretty Boy doin' here? What time is it?" Pulling himself up in his bed, the blanket slid down reveling his bare chest. He reached out and fumbled around before switching on his night lamp. He rubbed both hands up and down his face before staring at his friends again.

"It's a little after four in the morning," Reid pointed out concerned. His best friend sounded like he was drugged.

"After four? What are you doin' here? We got a case?"

"You could say that," Rossi stated hearing footsteps behind them. Glancing around, they noticed Prentiss had entered the room holstering her weapon and staring at the black agent who stared at her as if he didn't recognize her.

"We've been trying to reach you for hours, Derek," Prentiss pointed out. "You haven't been answering your phone."

"You have…?" Morgan looked at his night table, and spotted his cell phone. It was beeping. He picked it up and noticed the text messages from Rossi, JJ, and Garcia, along with three phone messages. "Why?" he looked at them puzzled.

"Hotch was attacked in his home earlier," Rossi explained. "Jack was there when everything went down but he seemed to be okay. JJ is with him at the hospital. We just came from Aaron's house and directly here when we couldn't reach you. Where have you been? Have you been here sleeping all night?"

"Wait a minute…" Morgan said. "Hotch was attacked? By who?" Despite being a bit more awake, his eyes still looked glassy to the three agents.

"We don't know by who," said Reid. "But he was beaten and badly."

"Derek, are you high on something?" asked Prentiss seriously.

Morgan massaged his forehead. The pounding in his head which had diminished earlier was now back though not as badly as earlier. "I had a migraine and took some pills. Musta knocked me out." He glanced over and saw Rossi pick up a bottle of small white pills off his night table beside an empty glass.

"Is this what you took?" Rossi asked studying the label.

"Yeah, that's it," Morgan replied. He covered his mouth with one hand to hide a yawn. "Didn't help much."

"Strong stuff," Rossi replied sitting the bottle back down on the table.

"Yeah. After I took two of 'em I went to sleep. Didn't hear the phone." He looked up at Rossi again. "You said Hotch was hurt?" His eyes squinted as he tried to focus on Reid.

The bright light was affecting his eyes and exacerbating his headache.

"He was," Reid replied. "It's bad, and he's in surgery right now. You need to come with us to the hospital."

"Give me a few minutes," Morgan said as he threw back the blanket revealing all he had on was a pair of boxers. He got up unsteadily on his feet causing Rossi to grip his arm to steady him.

"You sure you can get dressed by yourself or do you need a little help?" the older man asked, concerned.

"I'm okay. Just got up a bit too quickly is all. Give me five minutes and then I'll follow you in my…"

"You're not in any condition to drive," Rossi explained gently. "You'll come with us to the hospital." He let out a deep breath. "We'll wait outside while you get dressed."

* * *

A little more than an hour later, Rossi pulled up outside Franklin General Hospital and parked. Morgan, now awake and alert, was the first to exit the backseat before the others, and jogged toward the double doors with the others following him closely. All of them burst through the front doors and hurried down the hall and in the direction of the first floor nurses' station.

After getting directions, the four agents hurried further down the hall to the bank of elevators, and spotted one with its doors opened. They got inside and the doors hissed closed. Prentiss pushed the up button.

* * *

JJ and Jessica were still seated in the waiting room while Garcia was now pacing nervously back and forth as she was wont to do when an anxiety attack happened. Between worrying about Hotch and now Morgan was more than she could handle and she couldn't sit still anymore. Hearing voices and footsteps approaching, she paused and looked around as did JJ and Jessica.

Rossi, Reid, Prentiss and Morgan entered the waiting area. The tech analyst raced forward and wrapped Morgan in a bear hug, holding him tightly. He hugged her in response.

"Sweetness, you're makin' it hard for me to breathe," Morgan said, wincing.

Garcia quickly let him go and took a step back. "Sorry," she said apologetically. "We were just so worried when nobody could get a hold of you, especially after what happened to Bossman."

Morgan smiled but not his usual megawatt smile. His headache wouldn't allow it right now.

"I know and I'm sorry 'bout that. I had a headache and took some strong meds. I laid down and guess I fell asleep and didn't hear a thing until Rossi woke me."

JJ got to her feet and approached Rossi and Emily.

"Any word on Hotch?" asked Rossi quietly.

"Not yet," said JJ shaking her head negatively. "A nurse came by a while ago to tell me he would be in surgery for a few more hours." Her lower lip trembled and she swallowed hard, blinking back tears to keep them from falling. "I'm scared." She said in a soft voice so Jessica wouldn't overhear. The older man hugged the blonde and ran a hand up and down her back in a soothing manner.

"He's gonna be all right, kiddo," he said. "Aaron's survived worse than this and he will this time. You'll see."

"I know he will," JJ murmured, her face buried against the older man's shoulder. "But I'm still scared. If you had only seen him when they brought him out of his home."

"I'm scared too," Rossi replied offering a small smile.

Hearing this, the woman raised her head and looked into Rossi's soft brown eyes, and the corners of her mouth curled upward. She wiped at her eyes.

Meanwhile, Garcia and Reid, separate from the others and studying Morgan's face, watched him let out a deep breath and rub the back of his neck.

"Are you sure you're all right?" asked the tech analyst, concerned. "You look like you're in pain."

"Just a headache that refuses to go away, that's all. I'll be okay after awhile."

* * *

It was the voice that managed to penetrate Jack Hotchner's sleep and forced his eyes to crack open. He had heard that same voice before his dad had sent him out of the room and upstairs. He balled his small fists and rubbed them into his eyes to awaken himself. After a minute or two, he opened them fully and looked around the room until they landed on the owner of that voice.

" _NO!"_ Jack screamed as he jumped out of his chair trying to get far away. He climbed into another chair and curled up in it. _"He's a bad man!"_

Seeing and hearing this, Jessica left her chair and approached her nephew, sitting in the chair beside his. She tried to reach out and hug him, but the boy struggled against her refusing to let her hold him.

" _NO! He'll hurt me like he hurt daddy!"_

Rossi, JJ, Morgan, Reid, Garcia and Prentiss, having recovered from Jack's outburst, gathered around him. Rossi knelt down in front of the child, reached out a hand and gently placed it against the boy's cheek. But Jack cried harder as the hand touched his face, and Rossi felt the boy's shaking from complete terror from something. He looked back at the others questioningly then faced Jack again.

"Jack, nobody's gonna hurt you. I promise. We won't let anybody hurt you. Tell us what's made you so afraid right now?"

Jack, tears rolling down his cheeks, glanced at the owner of the voice, then again at Rossi. The child's eyes and face were full of terror.

"He…he hurt daddy!"

"Who did, Jack?" asked Prentiss gently. "Who hurt your daddy?"

"He…he did," the boy stammered. "Daddy…daddy sent me to my room when he showed up."

"Who, champ?" asked Rossi. "Tell us who he is."

"Uncle Derek."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Nobody said a word after Jack's utterance, not even members of the BAU. Even Jessica froze at what was said. She was friendly with each member of Aaron's team, especially Rossi, and for her nephew to say what he did distressed her. The entire team had been momentarily caught off guard by Jack's accusation.

But Morgan was the first to recover his senses following the child's bombshell announcement.

"Hey, little man, how can you say such a thing? There's no way I'd ever harm you or your dad."

He reached out a hand to touch the boy's shoulder, but Jack pulled away from the outstretched hand in terror. This caused Morgan to pull his hand back not sure what he should do next. He certainly didn't want to frighten his boss's son any more than he had.

Jack directed his own version of the 'Hotchner stare' at the black agent which mimicked his father's.

Looking at the others, Morgan spotted Jessica staring coldly at him as if she wanted to throttle him. "You'd better get away from my nephew, Agent Morgan. He's obviously afraid of you."

Morgan looked at Jessica, wounded, and opened his mouth to argue. But one side-ward glance at Rossi made him shut it before a word was spoken. The two men stared at each other.

"Derek, maybe you should move away from Jack and give him a chance to realize he was wrong. Once that happens I'm sure we can get this straightened out," Emily explained.

"It'll be okay, my Chocolate Stud Muffin," Garcia whispered into the agent's ear. "Jackers is upset and doesn't realize what he's saying. We realize you'd never hurt Hotch. Just give him time, and before long he'll come around and realize you're a good guy."

Morgan still looked hurt by the accusation. "Baby Girl, I wish I had your assurance. He sounded real sure 'bout what he said. He thinks I hurt his dad."

Garcia gently gripped his arm and led him away from the others and toward the seats near the entrance of the waiting room. Morgan let out a deep breath and observed each of his teammates from across the room. Garcia gripped his hand, looking at him with concern.

"C'mon, let's sit here. This way we can give Jackers space, and still be here when we get news on Hotch." They sat beside each other near the entrance.

Prentiss sat on the opposite side of Jack asking him to look at her.

"Jack, why did you say Derek hurt your dad?" she asked gently. To her, the child still appeared frightened and his body shook.

"Cause he did. He and dad yelled at each other before it got real quiet."

"When was this?"

"He…he came over after I took my bath. I had come back downstairs to ask dad if he was gonna read me a bedtime story. We were about to go upstairs when the doorbell rang. Dad opened the door and it was Uncle Derek."

"How do you know it was Derek?" asked Rossi calmly, laying his own hand on the little boy's arm and gently squeezed it offering support.

"Because I saw him when he came inside. It was Uncle Derek, and he was mad."

"How do you know he was mad, Jack?" asked Reid, hands on knees and leaning close.

"Cause he looked real mad. He was raising his voice at dad. But dad first told him to wait in the living room. He then told me to go upstairs, stay in my room, and he'd come up soon. So I went upstairs. That's when I heard raised voices."

"Could you hear what they were saying?" asked JJ.

"Not all of it 'cause my door was closed. But I got scared with all the yelling so I cracked open the door to hear, and that's when I heard Uncle Derek tell dad he had no right."

"No right about what?" asked Prentiss narrowing her eyebrows.

Jack shrugged. "I don't know. Because of the yelling, I closed my door again, and hid in my closet."

Rossi chewed his lower lip as he arranged his words. "Champ, this is very important. Did you see Derek attack your dad?" He noticed the child tense and bite his lower lip. "It's okay. You can tell us. We won't be upset no matter what."

"I didn't open my door until it got real quiet. When I got downstairs, dad was alone on the floor and the door was wide open."

"How long did you wait before you came downstairs?" asked Reid. "Do you remember?"

Again the boy shrugged. "I dunno."

"Can you tell us if it was a short time or a long time before you went downstairs?"

"I guess it was a long time. I was really scared Uncle Derek would come upstairs and yell at me like he did dad. I'm sorry, Uncle Spencer."

Reid smiled affectionately. "That's okay, Jack. You didn't do anything wrong. I promise. I just have one more question though."

"What's that?" asked the child.

"Did you see Derek leave your house as you came downstairs?"

"No. He was already gone when I came downstairs, but I know it was him."

Reid, JJ, Emily and Rossi all exchanged worried looks. What happened didn't make sense to any of them. And despite an eye witness, they refused to believe Morgan would attack their Unit Chief despite the differences the two men had over the years. They moved away from Jack and Jess so they could talk without being overheard by them or Morgan or Garcia.

"I don't know about any of you guys," said Prentiss in a low voice. "But I find this entire thing totally unbelievable. I mean Morgan attacking Hotch? C'mon."

"I agree," said Reid. "But after that argument he had with Hotch in the break area the other day, I think we should be prepared for any possibility."

"Wait a minute," interrupted JJ, staring at the Godfather of her sons. "Are you saying you believe Morgan attacked Hotch?"

"Not at all," Reid replied trying to defend himself. "All I'm saying is that Jack's accusation doesn't come as a surprise after Morgan's argument with Hotch. But that doesn't mean I believe he did what Jack claims."

"Yeah, but Jack knows each of us by sight," Rossi pointed out. "He wouldn't mistake somebody else for Derek. But despite an eye witness account, something still bugs me about this."

"What are you thinking?" asked JJ.

"I think one of us needs to talk with Morgan privately…" said Rossi.

"That's a good idea," Prentiss agreed.

"…and it should be me," Rossi concluded.

"Why should it be you?" asked Reid.

Rossi sighed. "Because, kid, you are way too close to Morgan, and JJ and Emily will be better suited to handle Garcia. That's why it should be me." He wasn't angry for Reid challenging his decision, because he understood. If anything, he didn't have the 'big brother, little brother' relationship with Morgan that Reid enjoyed.

The others reluctantly agreed. But just then, a handsome man about Rossi's height with green eyes, and wearing green surgical garb stained with blood, walked into the waiting room, looking exhausted. He removed his green surgical cap revealing a head of thick salt-and-pepper hair. Garcia and Morgan jumped up from their seats and hurried forward to join the others as they faced the doctor, impatiently waiting. Only Jack stayed seated with the promise by his aunt that she would tell him what the doctor said. The compassionate look in the doctor's eyes did not tell them anything one way or the other.

"You're all here for Agent Hotchner?" he asked glancing at the seven people in front of him.

"Yes," Rossi said anxiously. "How is he?"

"I'm Doctor Orwell Hochstein, Chief Trauma Surgeon. I operated on Agent Hotchner."

"Will he be all right?" asked Jessica, tears filling her eyes.

"He made it through surgery despite coding twice. We were fortunate we were able to bring him back. His injuries were numerous and serious."

"Will…will he make it?" asked Garcia in a shaky voice.

"The next 24-48 hours will tell us whether or not he'll survive. We were successful in stopping the hemorrhaging and repairing the damage, so he may have a chance. We'll have to wait and see."

"What are his injuries?" asked Rossi.

"His upper torso was covered with deep lacerations and bruises. He had several broken bones including three broken ribs and his left ulna. The right radius was also fractured. We managed to save his spleen and repair part of his liver in order to stop the bleeding. He also has a broken nose, and numerous cuts and bruises on his face as well."

There was a collective gasp from the group hearing the doctor catalogue Hotch's injuries.

"What else?" asked Rossi, swallowing the bile rising in his throat.

"There were two stab wounds in his abdomen causing him to bleed into his abdomen. They were round in shape but deep enough to penetrate his abdominal wall resulting in serious bleeding."

But something still bothered Rossi. He stared at Doctor Hochstein.

"There's something you're not telling us," the senior agent added grimly.

Hochstein let out a deep breath and nodded. "The most serious and life-threatening injury is to his head. Agent Hotchner suffered a skull fracture to the left side of his skull."

Jessica buried her face in her hands as she struggled to muffle her sobs so as not to alarm her nephew.

"Oh my God!" Garcia gasped covering her mouth with a hand as tears spilled down her cheeks. Morgan wrapped an arm around her shoulders tightly as he ground his lower jaw in anger.

The team was stunned as this disastrous news sank in. The happiness they all felt knowing Hotch was alive following surgery had been replaced with fear; fear that they might still lose him.

"How bad is the damage and will he recover?" as Morgan in a shaky voice. He noticed the others stare at him curiously following his question, but he chose to ignore the looks for now.

Hochstein let out a deep breath. He felt for these people standing in front of him. It was obvious they cared very much for his patient and he wished he could give them better news, but he couldn't.

"His skull fracture wasn't as bad as we at first feared. Despite the trauma to his head, his skull surprising remained intact. We assume from the number of broken bones in his arms he might have tried protecting his head from the beating he received. But because of the brain swelling, we were forced to drill a hole in his skull to allow his brain to expand," Hochstein continued. "Right now the opening is being kept covered, but once the swelling goes down, it will be closed."

"Might there be…" stammered Jessica, horrified. The thought of Aaron having permanent brain damage was almost overwhelming. "…might there be any permanent brain damage?"

"It's too soon to tell. As I mentioned earlier, he is in a deep coma and is unresponsive to any stimuli. On the Glasgow Coma Scale, I'd say his score is about a 3. (1) We'll have a better idea what we may be dealing with once Agent Hotchner regains consciousness."

"I don't understand," whimpered Garcia. "What does this mean?"

Before Hochstein could respond, Reid answered the tech analyst's question now feeling comfortable spouting statistics.

"The Glasgow Coma Scale assesses reactions of a person in a coma." His hands became animated as he continued feeling more in control. "It takes into account eye opening, movement, and verbal responses to vocal or painful stimuli. The fact that Hotch had no response at all right now means he probably has a low score. The worst score is a '3.'"

The doctor pursed his lips and folded his arms. "That's what Agent Hotchner scored."

Hearing this, Prentiss buried her face in her hands. Garcia clung to Morgan's hand seeking solace while the agent was obviously struggling to control his own emotions for her sake. Jessica wrapped her arms around herself calling on all her strength so as not to collapse to her knees, especially in front of Jack. Rossi ran both hands down his face as he tried hiding how emotional be was becoming hearing the doctor describe his best friend's condition. Reid looked awkward as if unsure what to do or say.

Rossi coughed to regain control of himself then looked up at the doctor.

"Will he…? Will he….live?" he asked, barely able to get the words out of his mouth.

"Right now that's difficult to say. He's breathing with the aid of a respirator. He's also connected to several tubes, wires, and there are plenty of bandages. In other words, it'll be a waiting game."

"When will he wake up?" asked Garcia.

"I can't say. He's currently in a deep coma and unresponsive. It could be days, weeks, months, or not at all. There's just no way to tell." Hochstein looked as if he was done, but let out a deep breath instead.

Jessica bit her lower lip. Jack had already lost his mother. If he was to lose his father would be more than any child should be forced to endure at his young age. She said a silent prayer to herself and almost missed what the doctor was saying.

"There is one minor injury however."

"Which is?" asked Emily as she tried compartmentalizing what she was hearing.

"We discovered two sets of Taser burns on his left lower back. They weren't serious nor are they life-threatening. And they will have no effect on his survival."

"Can we see him?" asked Jessica, her mind still trying to process the information.

"He's currently being moved to recovery where he'll be for at least two hours. Then he'll be moved to ICU. I suggest all of you go home and come back tomorrow during visiting hours beginning at 10. You'll be able to see him then, but I can only allow two at a time. I'm sorry."

"Thank you, doctor," said Rossi.

"Sorry I couldn't give you better news," Hochstein said. He offered a faint smile before he left the waiting area.

Now that they were alone again, Jessica turned to Reid.

"Dr. Reid, I understand from Aaron you know everything about everything. What can you tell me about comas?"

Reid studied the woman with great sympathy. He could see she was frightened, and he wanted to do what he could to comfort and reassure her so she could reassure Jack.

"Most people think a person in a coma lies totally still and silent, but that isn't really true. Sometimes a person can make sounds or movements that are associated with consciousness. And just because Hotch is unresponsive right now doesn't always tell how well he can recover. There are other factors which must be taken into account like age, type and degree of injury, and how motivated a patient is. And we all know Hotch can be very motivated."

"So you think he can recover?" asked Jess through her tears.

Reid paused for a moment before he spoke. "I do," he replied earnestly. "Hotch can go from nothing to something at any time. We just need to be patient."

Jessica smiled through her tears at the young genius. "Thank you for that," she said. "It gives me and Jack something to hold onto while we wait for Aaron to open his eyes."

Rossi focused his attention on Morgan.

"Since we can't see Hotch until tomorrow, I think you and I need to have a talk right now, Derek. Alone."

"Rossi, I didn't do this! You have to believe me!"

* * *

(1) The Glasgow Coma Scale was developed by Teasdale and Jennett in 1974. This and aspects of levels of coma are Courtesy of Traumatic Brain


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Seeing the seriousness on the senior agent's face, Morgan struggled to control his anger and keep it from boiling over thus making matters worse. This isn't the time to lose control.

"C'mon, Rossi, you can't be serious. I didn't do this!"

Morgan noticed the others staring at him accusingly except for Garcia who looked at him with sympathy. She clutched his hand offering him her support.

"I don't know any such thing," Rossi stated seriously. "That's why we need to talk. Jack Hotchner puts you in his house and yelling at his dad. That's a strong statement which I hope you can refute."

Garcia's jaw dropped as she stared at Rossi, stunned. She refused to accept what she had just heard. Dave Rossi accusing her Derek of attacking Hotch intending to kill him.

She closed her eyes momentarily, shook her head, and silently chastised herself for even momentarily suspecting such a thing herself. For two things Penelope knew to be true in her heart was, one, Derek although quick to anger, never attacked one of his teammates physically. And second, Hotch never gave in to anger and come to blows with a subordinate. This entire mess is just unbelievable to accept, and Jack's accusation made it even more unbelievable.

She opened her mouth to say something to the Italian, but the older agent silenced her with one look.

After a long few moments, Morgan's eyes narrowed into dangerous slits and he glared at the senior agent.

"Y'know what, Rossi? You can go to hell!" he hissed. He glanced at each one of his teammates. "Each of you can go to hell!"

He yanked his hand out of Garcia's, turned abruptly on his heels, and stormed out of the waiting room, leaving the others standing in place, too stunned to move.

Garcia, looking after her friend, chased after him. As she reached the doorway, she paused and looked back angrily at the others with tears falling.

"How can you treat him that way?" she cried. "You're supposed to be his friends!"

Without waiting for a response, she turned and hurried to catch up with the black agent leaving her team looking at each other by this sudden turn of events.

"How did this happen?" asked JJ, puzzled.

"I have no idea," Rossi replied crossing his arms across his chest and staring at the doorway. "But Morgan appeared to be in an awful hurry to leave here."

"C'mon, Rossi," Reid stared at the older man, incredulous. "You can't tell us you believe he did this?"

"Doesn't matter. An accusation has been made and has to be investigated."

Reid was going to respond when Emily interrupted. "Rossi's right. It doesn't matter that Morgan is our friend and teammate. He has to be treated as any other suspect in an assault case. We can't show favoritism because the accused is one of our own. Besides, Hotch wouldn't want that."

"No he wouldn't," Rossi muttered partially to himself, then turned in the direction of Jack Hotchner and Jessica Brooks. The boy was leaning against Jess, his face pressed against her, crying, while Jess had an arm wrapped around him holding him tightly against her. She looked up when Rossi walked into view. The man sat beside her.

"Jess, I think you should take Jack home. We can't see Aaron right now, and both of you need to get some sleep. We'll let you know when Aaron's up for visitors."

Jess smiled weakly and glanced at her nephew. "I would like to get Jack home. He's had a difficult day and he's worn out."

"I know. You both have been through a terrible shock and need some sleep."

Nodding, Jessica slowly got to her feet, and grabbing Jack's hand, gently urged him to get to his feet and come with her but the child resisted.

" _I don't wanna go! I wanna stay here! Daddy needs me and I can't leave him alone!"_

Rossi held up a hand stopping the woman from saying anything. Instead, he cupped Jack's face in both of his large hands forcing the child to look at him, and smiled.

"Champ, I know you wanna stay here and be with your dad. So do we. But right now that just isn't possible. The doctor said we can't see him until tomorrow because he needs his rest, and so do you and your aunt. Also, I know your dad would want you to take care of your Aunt Jess. He wouldn't be very happy if he finds out you didn't do that, would he?"

Jack's eyes were downcast. "No, sir," he mumbled so softly that Rossi barely heard him.

"Then why don't you go home with her so you can both get some sleep. This way all three of you get some rest. Can you do that for me, Champ?"

Jack smiled a watery smile as he looked up at Rossi. "Okay, Uncle Dave. I'll look after Aunt Jess for dad."

Rossi's smile widened as he patted one of Jack's cheeks. "Good boy."

Jack got to his feet clutching his aunt's hand tightly. "Uncle Dave, can I ask you a question?"

"Of course you can. What is it?"

Jack stared the older man in the eyes. "What about Uncle Derek? Are you gonna keep him away from daddy? He's a bad man and he hurt daddy."

Rossi let out a deep breath before he said anything. He put both hands on the boy's shoulders.

"I promise you, and you know I don't break my promises. Uncle Derek will not get close to you, your dad, or your Aunt Jess. You have my word."

"I believe you."

Jack released his aunt's hand, and wrapped both arms around Rossi's neck as the two hugged each other tightly. When they parted, Jack grabbed his aunt's hand again and looked up at her. "C'mon, Aunt Jess. We have to get home so I can take care of you for daddy."

Jess smiled at Rossi and mouthed a silent 'thank you' to the older man as she led Jack out of the waiting room.

* * *

After watching Jack and Jessica leave, Reid, Prentiss, and JJ approached and gathered around the senior agent.

"So what do we do now?" asked Prentiss moving a dark strand of hair over her shoulder.

"Reid, check with the lab and see if they have any results on that aluminum bat. Prentiss, you and JJ come with me. When we find Morgan, I'm gonna need you both to occupy Garcia while I question Derek. It'll go easier if you two keep her busy."

As Reid walked off on his assignment, the others went in search of Morgan and Garcia. They searched every empty room on the floor, and even checked the recovery area for a minute. They wondered if the duo had possibly sneaked into the recovery area to sit with their Unit Chief, but without success.

As a last resort, they walked outside the hospital, hoping to find the duo sitting outside and talking. They knew if anybody could calm Morgan down it would be Garcia. However, what they saw made them stop and pause.

Garcia was sitting alone, on a bench with her head bowed, staring at her hands. She could be heard sobbing, and did not look up or even give the impression she heard approaching footsteps.

"Kitten?" asked Rossi gently as he sat beside her. "Where's Morgan?"

"He left," she said not raising her head to look at him.

"What do you mean 'he left'?" asked Emily, eyes narrowing.

"Just what I said. He left."

"Did he say where he was going?" asked JJ.

This time Penelope raised her head. She stared at JJ and then Rossi. Her cheeks were wet.

"I don't know where he went. He didn't say. All I know is he was really hurt when he left. I tried to get him to sit with me and talk, but he brushed me off and walked away. I couldn't stop him."

"We're sorry, Kitten," Rossi explained. "We didn't intend for anybody to be hurt." He put a reassuring hand on Garcia's shoulder.

Penelope wiped her cheeks as she focused on Rossi. "Well somebody did get hurt," she said accusingly. "How can you even think he would hurt Hotch? You know him. You know he wouldn't hurt any of us. No matter how mad he might get, he still wouldn't physically hurt any of us. "

"We know that. Look, we don't believe he would do this either. But you have to understand he's been accused of a serious crime by someone who saw him in their home. If we turned our backs and didn't investigate, we'd not only be accused of concealing evidence of a crime, but the Director, Internal Affairs, and Hotch, when he recovered, would be all over us. We don't have a choice but to follow procedure. It doesn't mean we're gonna let Derek go down with the ship."

Garcia wiped at her eyes again and offered Rossi a weak smile. "I know. It's just so hard to accept my Chocolate Adonis is a suspect in attacking Mon Capitan. Why would he even do that? He'd have no reason."

"That's why we need to talk with him," Rossi explained gently. "We need to get his side of things."

"Of course him running away doesn't make him look good," Emily explained. "If anything, his running away will make him appear even guiltier."

"But he's not guilty!" Garcia glared at Prentiss. "He's angry and hurt that his so-called friends are judging him and are so ready to accept he did this without any proof. I may not be a profiler, but even I know that much."

Rossi glanced at each of the women. This back and forth wasn't getting them anywhere, and this is not the time for them to bicker among themselves.

"Okay everybody, just calm down. We're all tired and worried about Hotch. But let's take a moment before we say something we can't take back."

Garcia let out a deep breath and managed to rein in her emotions. Her best friend would need her help, and she couldn't help him by falling apart. She let out a deep breath and stared at the older man.

"Okay…I'm okay," she sniffed. "Do you have any idea how we can help Morgan?"

"I've already asked Reid to check with the lab and see if they found anything on the aluminum bat. Tomorrow, as soon as we're allowed to visit Hotch, we need to look at his hands and see if he has any defensive wounds."

Emily crossed her arms. "He might not if a Taser was used to subdue him."

"Probably. But we still need to at least check for defensive wounds. And everything we do we need to do it quietly. Internal Affairs will be investigating, and officially we'll have to stay out of it. And keep in mind, everything we find out we have to turn over to them. And once we find Morgan, we question him first."

"Is that wise?" asked JJ.

"No, but it's the way it's gotta be. You know as well as I do that once IA gets 'im, they won't let us talk to 'im. So we'll have to question 'im before they do."

Garcia looked somewhat confused. "But…but what do we do right now? Surely there must be something we can do right now to help my Chocolate Delight?"

Rossi chuckled as he stared into her face.

"There is. Emily, I want you and JJ to go to Aaron's house and talk to his neighbors. Find out if any of them saw anybody other than Morgan visit his home."

"What exactly are we looking for?" asked JJ.

"I'm hoping someone may have come to Aaron's house shortly after Morgan left. And that whoever that person was, that somebody may have seen and remember this person."

"You think somebody might be setting Morgan up for this?" asked Prentiss.

"Maybe. Either that or somebody has a gripe against Hotch and wanted to punish him."

"What about me?" asked Penelope. "How can I help my Handsome Hunk?"

"Kitten, you and I are gonna take a drive." He got up and held out his hand for her.

"Where are we going?" she asked getting to her feet. She clutched his outstretched hand.

"You'll see when we get there."

* * *

Derek Morgan sat on a stool in a bar staring into space with a cold bottle of beer in front of him. Resting his forearms on the counter-top, he gently turned the bottle around and around with his thumb and forefinger. He wasn't really thirsty, it was that he needed a change of atmosphere. Someplace where he could think clearly, plus replay things in his mind and try and figure out what had gone wrong. So after leaving the hospital, he continued walking until he found the closest establishment, went inside, and ordered a beer at the bar.

How _dare_ his team accuse him of assaulting Hotch! At least Garcia seemed to be on his side. His Baby Girl whom he treated rudely when she tried to talk to him as he was leaving. He recalled as he walked out of the hospital how guilty he now felt about the way he had treated her, and made a mental note to remind himself to apologize the next time he saw her. He owed her that at least.

He raised the bottle to his lips and took a long drink, enjoying the cold liquid as it slid down his throat, then lowered it. Raising his head, he studied his reflection in the mirror on the wall behind the counter. As he took another swig of beer, he thought back to how this entire mess got started, and how he had gotten to this point.

 _ **(Flashback):**_

 _He trotted up the steps of the catwalk after being summoned by Aaron Hotchner to his corner office. He wondered if his being summoned had to do with the phone call he'd seen Hotch get a few minutes earlier. At least that's what he told himself._

 _He knocked on the closed office door before he opened it hearing 'come in.' Hotch was seated behind his desk reviewing an open case file in front of him. He looked up when the door opened._

" _You wanted to see me, Hotch?" he asked standing just inside the open doorway._

" _Yes, I did," Hotch answered. "Please close the door and have a seat."_

 _He closed the office door quietly, and took a seat in front of his boss's desk. For some reason he was starting to feel anxious and didn't know exactly why._

" _Did I uh…did I do something wrong?"_

" _What? No. Not at all. I called you in here to discuss a phone call I just received from the Section Chief about you."_

 _He raised his eyebrows is surprise._

" _You did? About what?"_

 _Hotch sighed. "Apparently, she received a phone call from the Omaha Field Office wanting to know about your availability to run their office, and she called me."_

 _He was speechless upon hearing this. He had no idea he was sought after by another office other than New York which he refused a year ago._

" _What did you tell her?" he asked the Unit Chief._

 _Hotch let out a deep breath. He wasn't going to enjoy this part of the conversation._

" _I told her in all honesty I could not give my recommendation." Hotch waited for the explosion he knew would soon follow, and he didn't have long to wait._

" _What!" he jumped up from his seat, glaring at the Unit Chief. "Why would you do this to me again!?"_

" _Morgan…"_

" _No! You screwed me once, and now you're doing it to me again!"_

 _Hotch shook his head sadly. "The job is yours if you still want it, I just can't give my recommendation because of your trust issues. And don't tell me you don't remember because they're the same ones you had when New York wanted you."_

 _He shook his head and placed his hands on his hips. "Man, how can you even say that? This doesn't fly this time. Sometimes I think you like screwing with me. You had no right! You hear me…no right!"_

 _Hotch got up from behind his desk, grabbing his coffee cup. He was starting to get a headache. Walking around his desk, he started toward the door._

" _I called you in here to inform you of the offer from the Omaha office. I've done that. The decision is up to you. I consider this discussion finished. Now if you excuse me, I need to get some coffee." Hotch walked past him, opened the door, and walked out of his office._

 _But he followed the Unit Chief out the door. Maybe to Hotch the conversation was over, but it wasn't to him. He was full of white-hot rage._

" _I'll tell you when this conversation is over," he hissed. "And don't you walk away from me when I'm talkin' to you!"_

 _Hotch continued walking toward the break area seemingly ignoring the black agent._

" _I'm talkin' to you, man!" he shouted at Hotch's receding back. He didn't care if his voice was loud and that people were staring at him, including his own teammates wanting to see what would happen._

 _JJ, Emily, and Reid looked up from their desks. And Rossi had stepped out of his office and onto the catwalk, hands gripping the railing so tightly his knuckles turned white. He'd heard snatches of conversation when the yelling began in his friend's office, but not enough to understand what had happened. As things now spilled out into the bullpen, he became worried. He had never seen Morgan so angry at anyone including Hotch. And he had never seen Hotch so 'dismissive' for lack of a better word, towards anyone._

 _Everybody watched Hotch walk into the break area with Morgan yelling at him nonstop. And despite the two men now out-of-sight, the raised voices told Rossi the argument was continuing. Then Rossi nearly jumped when the sound of breaking glass was heard. He ran down the steps of the catwalk and down to the lower level. He, JJ, Reid, and Emily hurried to the break area where they spotted the two alpha males glaring at each other._

 _The coffee pot lay shattered on the floor nearby as did Hotch's coffee cup. Morgan's body was trembling, as he balled and unballed his fists._

 _Sensing what was about to happen, Rossi shot forward and separated the two men. He stared at Morgan in whose eyes he spotted a murderous rage._

" _Morgan, take a moment before you do something you're gonna regret and cost you your job." Then he turned toward Hotch. "Aaron, I know what's in your mind right now and don't do it. Go back to your office and take a few minutes to calm down. Don't make any decisions while you're angry."_

 _JJ hurried forward toward Rossi and took Hotch by one arm as Rossi took the other. Meanwhile, Reid and Emily did the same with Morgan._

 _And while both near combatants glared at each other, they allowed themselves to be led away from each other thus avoiding possible bloodshed._

 _ **(End of Flashback)**_

Morgan finished off his beer and gestured for the bartender to bring him another.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Morgan was working on his second beer when he spotted two familiar faces appear in the mirror and standing beside him. But instead of looking at them directly, he took another drink from his bottle.

"Derek Morgan, I demand you stop drinking right now and talk to us," Penelope Garcia insisted.

Morgan smirked. "Why?" he asked still not facing them. He preferred speaking to their reflections in the mirror.

Rossi opened his mouth to retort, but paused when Garcia continued her tirade in being addressed in what she assumed to be a 'dismissive' manner.

"Don't get smart with me, Derek Morgan," she snapped. "We're here to help you, so get off your high horse and help us help you. In case you haven't noticed, we don't believe you did this, so stop acting like a horse's patoot." (1)

This time Morgan spun around on his stool and glared at both of them.

"Oh, so now you both don't think I did this? That's funny comin' from you especially, Rossi, since you accused me back in the hospital."

Rossi grinned. "Touché. Derek, you can drop the act and come clean with everything with Garcia. We're gonna need her help in this. And I need to understand what happened. I figured you and Aaron had planned for every possibility."

Garcia's eyes narrowed and she looked at the older man, puzzled. "What possibilities?" She faced Morgan. "What's going on that I haven't been told?"

Morgan's face at once softened as a grin appeared.

"Sorry, Baby Girl. I had to keep up appearances." He glanced around finding an empty table in the far corner. He got off his stool and headed for the table with his friends behind him. Once everyone was seated, he studied them. "You guys want something to drink?"

Rossi shook his head 'no,' but the tech analyst stared at her friend. "What I want is an answer to my question, so somebody better start talking before I lose my temper and take technological revenge."

"Okay," began Rossi. "Now we can talk freely. What the hell happened? Aaron promised me he wouldn't get hurt with this plan of his. Nothing was supposed to go wrong."

Morgan pushed his beer bottle away and let out a deep breath. "Nothing was, I swear. We accounted for every possibility. Nobody was supposed to get hurt and especially not Hotch."

"Wait a minute," the tech analyst interrupted glancing back-and-forth between them, finally looking at Rossi. "You knew about this?"

Rossi ignored her question as he focused solely on the bald agent. "You couldn't have. If you did, then tell me what went wrong!" His eyebrows knitted as his voice raised in anger, though not directed at the agent. "Why is Hotch lying in a hospital bed fighting for his life?"

"I don't know, man, I really don't," Morgan studied the older man, sighing wearily. "Look, after Hotch and I staged that fight at work, it was decided I was supposed to stay overnight at his place but he changed his mind. I guess he sensed I didn't feel good because of my migraine. Anyhow, I drove directly to his place after work to try and convince him why I should stay overnight, but he again ordered me to go home and take care of myself. He said he would call you and have you come over instead so he wouldn't be alone."

"I don't understand…" interrupted the blonde. "Why would Hotch need somebody to stay with him?"

Morgan reached across the table and gripped her hand, giving it a squeeze. "I'm comin' to that, Sweetness. Be patient. Hotch didn't want to be alone because the three FBI supervisors who were murdered, were killed before they got to work."

Garcia gasped. She had heard about the murders.

"Anyway, he and I went back and forth about me staying and I'm afraid our conversation got a bit heated which is probably what Jack overheard. But my head hurt so much, I gave in, and I left. I swear, Rossi, if I had known this was gonna happen after I left, I would have stayed with Hotch until you arrived, sick or not."

Rossi's face softened. "And you would have. But this guy, whoever he is, saw you leave, and made his move. So he attacked between the time you left but before Aaron called me. And for that to take place, he had to be watching Aaron's place and saw you arrive."

Morgan ran a hand over his bald head. "I never saw anybody. I even checked when I left and didn't see anybody. If I suspected somebody was out there, I woulda sat in my car until you arrived."

Rossi folded his hands atop the table. "This guy is good whoever he is."

"Yeah," Morgan said grimly. "And Hotch might die because of it. _Damn!_ " he muttered under his breath.

"Don't be so hard on yourself. I'm sure if you suspected there might be trouble, you'd have been there until I arrived no matter how bad you felt."

Morgan stared at the older man. "I appreciate that, but it doesn't make me feel better. Hotch was viciously attacked and might die."

"But he won't," Garcia offered a small smile and squeezed his hand. "Bossman is a fighter, you know that. He'll fight with everything he has to come back to us."

Rossi smiled. "She's right, y'know. Now, can you tell us what happened after you arrived at Aaron's?"

Morgan let out a deep breath and nodded. "Yeah. Like I said, after I got there, Hotch told me he was sure he was bein' watched at work."

Rossi's eyes narrowed. "Watched by whom? The Section Chief?" He knew their Section Chief, Erin Strauss, was always watching Aaron, hoping he'd slip up and give her reason to fire him.

Morgan shook his head. "Not Strauss. He didn't know who, but he felt somebody was watching him. I suggested we should tell the rest of the team because we might need their help, but he again refused."

"But why?" asked Garcia. "We could've helped keep Bossman safe."

"That's exactly why he didn't want the rest of the team involved. He didn't want to alarm the rest of you guys by telling you he was using himself as bait to lure this guy. He said you guys would worry too much about him." Morgan's eyes shifted to Rossi. "But he did tell me he had let you in on the plan, and that you voiced your strong objection to him using himself as bait."

Rossi chuckled. "That's because I didn't give him any choice. You know how persuasive I can be."

Morgan smirked. "So I noticed," he answered with a hint of sarcasm.

Rossi then became serious. "I did not like that part of his plan and told him it was too dangerous, and there had to be another way. But Aaron was stubborn as usual and insisted this was the only way and that he'd be extra careful. Did he give you _any_ idea who might be watching him?"

"None. All he said was it was somebody in the Bureau."

The older man's eyebrows arched. "What made him think that?"

"Hotch and I agreed only somebody in the Bureau could keep tabs on him while he was at work. An outsider wouldn't be able to do that."

"You mean one of us did this to Hotch?" gasped Garcia. "Who is it? Give me his name. I'll destroy him. I'll ruin him. I'll…"

"We'll get 'im, Baby Girl, I promise. He won't get away with this."

"He'd better not," said Penelope. "Are we gonna tell the rest of the team? Seems to me we're gonna need their help to catch this guy. Second, I think we gotta…"

"Hold your horses, momma. We can't tell the others anything yet. If Hotch is right and this guy is on the inside, he might find out it's a trick to trap him and disappear. I mean, we have no idea who we can trust except the team and can't risk it."

Garcia looked puzzled. "But you just said we can trust the team…"

"True," Rossi interjected. "But we don't know who they know and can't afford any slip-ups."

"But...but…" Garcia stuttered. "…that means the others will continue to suspect you might have attacked Hotch. Once you tell them the truth, they'll be glad to help clear you."

"I know it's difficult to deal with, Penelope," Rossi explained. "But it has to be this way for now. I'm guessing this guy, whoever he is, wants Morgan to not only take the fall for Hotch's attack, but possibly for the murders as well."

"But…"

"I think we should continue with Hotch's plan and let the others wonder if I did this,"

Morgan explained. "That's what this guy wants, so let's give 'im what he wants. This way he'll start to feel over-confident and just might make a mistake."

"He might," Rossi added. "But allowing you to remain under suspicion is also taking a huge risk. By doing this, we'd have to follow procedure and suspend you while Internal Affairs investigate and we're told to stay out of it. On the other hand, we'll covertly investigate to hopefully find proof you didn't do this and were set up. But we can't give any indication that we're trying to prove your innocence. If this guy is on the inside as you and Hotch believe, he'll make sure evidence is found proving your guilt of Hotch's attack as well as the three murders."

"What he said, my Chocolate Hero," Garcia said with lower lip trembling. "There has to be another way."

"Look, I know I'm asking a lot of this team. But Hotch had a plan to lure this guy out of hiding so we could catch him," Morgan said. "I say we stick with his plan and see where it takes us. His attack on Hotch shows that we were successful in making Hotch fit the victimology. Only thing that went wrong is we were hoping to catch 'im without Hotch getting hurt. We owe it to 'im to see it through."

Rossi nodded. "Kitten, I didn't like Aaron using himself as bait to begin with, but Morgan's right. We need to continue with Aaron's plan. But let me just add this," He turned a harsh glare on Morgan. "The minute I see things start to go wrong, I'm pulling the plug on this entire plan and telling the rest of the team. Comprende?"

Garcia nodded her agreement, but Morgan hesitated.

"Rossi…"

" _I said_ _comprende."_ His tone left no room for argument.

"Comprende," Morgan reluctantly agreed.

"So what do we do now?" asked the tech analyst. At last she understood what had happened and why. It had been part of a plan, and part of it had terribly gone awry.

"What we've discussed stays between the three of us," said Morgan.

"By that we mean no telling JJ, Prentiss, or Reid. It's a matter of life-or-death," added Rossi.

"Why can't I at least tell them?"

"If _any_ word slips out it could result in not only my death, but Hotch's," the bald agent emphasized. "So you need to keep what we've told you to yourself. Can you do that, Sweetness?"

Garcia glanced first at Morgan, then at Rossi, and again at Morgan. "No ship shall ever be sunk by these lips," she said with a smile. Then she faced Rossi again and frowned. "What about Hotch? Since this slime didn't kill Bossman, might he come after him again to finish the job?" A look of fear appeared.

"I'll take care of that," Rossi said. "He won't get near Aaron a second time, trust me."

"What about Jack and Jessica?" she then asked. "Shouldn't they know the truth at least?"

Rossi shook his head bringing a frown to her face. "We can't tell them either, Penelope. We have to let them believe Morgan might have done this. I know it's not right and may sound cruel, Kitten, but it has to be this way for now. But I promise you, once this entire mess is over, we will tell everyone the truth. You have my word on that."

A smile replaced the frown on Garcia's face. She sighed.

"I don't like it, but I understand. Besides, the fewer people who know the less chance of a slip-up. Right?"

"Right," both Morgan and Rossi said at the same time.

The tech analyst suddenly became giddy. "This sorta makes us like the three Musketeers, doesn't it?" she asked chuckling.

Rossi chuckled. "Yes, it does."

Morgan smiled. "I like your analogy, Baby Girl."

"Thank you, my Dark Mocha Delight. So tell me, my fellow Musketeers, what do we do first?"

* * *

(1) A horse's patoot is slang for calling somebody a horse's ass.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: My beta has moved from Texas to South Carolina, and she says it will take about a month to get her internet up and running, and to finish unpacking. But I had this chapter and have three more in reserve. This is why I am posting every two weeks so hopefully by the time I have posted the others she will be ready to beta again. But I am continuing to write so I have plenty of chapters to send her when she gives me the word.  
**

 **Chapter 7**

They parked directly outside the Hotchner house. As Emily slid out from behind the steering wheel, she tossed a look in JJ's direction as the blonde stood on the sidewalk waiting for her.

"Here's hoping we find somebody who noticed something," said the brunette as she got out.

JJ checked her watch and let out a deep breath. "Well, it's nearly seven-thirty in the morning. With luck we'll find people getting ready for work or school."

"You might be right." Emily paused. "JJ, could we have been wrong about Morgan?" she asked as she walked around the front of the vehicle and joined the blonde on the sidewalk.

"I don't know. I really don't. Normally I'd say no way, but I've never seen him as angry as he was with anybody yesterday as he was with Hotch. So I suppose anything is possible. How 'bout you?"

"I don't know," the brunette answered. "I mean, I don't know what to believe after yesterday." She paused and looked on both sides of the Hotchner house. "Why don't you head one way and I'll go the other. We can cover more territory that way."

JJ looked in the direction she'd be going. "Here's hoping we find something to help Morgan," she said. Just then she tilted her head as she spotted a woman peeking out from behind white curtains, observing them. "I suspect somebody is shy," she commented as she and Emily notice the woman disappear and the curtains close.

"Go get 'em," Emily teased. "We'll meet back here in two hours." That said, she walked in the opposite direction and up the steps of a small house with a dark-grey door. She rang the doorbell and waited for the door to be opened.

* * *

Spencer Reid walked into the lab in the police station where the aluminum bat was sent, seeking out the forensic scientist to whom the evidence was assigned. From the description and name he'd been given, he spotted the man in question leaning against a stainless steel table on which sat several plastic canisters. He wore Styrofoam gloves, and was reviewing secured papers attached to a clipboard. He approached the man and glimpsed his name-tag.

"Doctor Morton? I'm Doctor Spencer Reid with the FBI," he held up his credentials for the man to view.

"Ah yes, Doctor Reid," Morton said with a smile. He put the clipboard on the table he'd been leaning against, and wrapped his arms around himself. "I was informed by Detective Brewster that somebody from the FBI might be coming by. You're here about Agent Hotchner, I believe?"

A faint grin appeared on Reid's lips. "Yes. I want to know if you've examined the aluminum bat that was sent to you."

"Matter of fact we have. Detective Brewster had us put a rush on it." He walked toward another table on which sat the bat in question, the blood on the barrel in the process of drying. The doctor carefully picked up the bat and held it up so Reid could see as he took out a pair of Styrofoam gloves from his pocket and put them on.

"We did find several short black hairs mixed with the blood on the barrel. There is no doubt in my mind that this bat was used in the attack on your agent. The blood on the bat is also A+."

Reid grimaced. He knew A+ was Hotch's blood type. And just the thought of him being beaten about his head and upper body was almost too much to stomach. He took the bat from Morton and examined the barrel closely.

"Did you find any fingerprints?"

Morton shook his head. "None."

"Isn't that a little strange?"

"I thought so. This bat shows signs of much use and old damage separate from being used in an attack. You can see the scuff marks and dents on it. In my opinion, there's no way for there not to be any fingerprints found."

"Unless the person using it wore gloves, or wiped it down well from previous use," Reid explained. "Did you find anything else unusual about it during your examination?"

Morton shook his head. "Not really. Just a plain aluminum bat. Sorry."

Reid sighed. "So am I."

* * *

When Doctor Hochstein arrived in the ICU, the first patient he checked on was Aaron Hotchner. Considering the seriousness of the man's injuries when he was rushed to the hospital, he was delighted to find the man had survived.

Hochstein and his nurse approached Hotch's bed. After the IV had been checked, he listened to Hotch's heart and lungs, and helped his nurse change the bandages. So far his patient's physical condition had not changed from earlier.

Then he leaned over the man, took out his penlight, and shined it into each of Hotch's eyes separately and a frown appeared. The pupils were unresponsive. He then removed a small pin from his breast pocket and stuck it into the back of his patient's uninjured hand. His frown deepened when again there was no response.

He picked up his patient's chart and made his updated notations. There was one positive sign. While Hotch's vitals hadn't improved over the past few hours; they hadn't worsened either. Hanging up the chart on a hook attached to the foot of the bed frame, Hochstein walked out of Hotch's room with his nurse just behind him. He glanced at his watch to check the time and then looked at his nurse.

"Agent Hotchner's team will be here this morning to visit. Let me know when they arrive as I will need to speak with them before they visit him."

"Yes, Doctor."

* * *

Dave Rossi wearily walked out of his office at the BAU, stepped onto the catwalk, and stood at the railing looking out at the empty desks of his absent team members. He let out a deep breath having just gotten off the phone after telling Strauss about Hotch's assault, and that he was in the hospital. The one thing he didn't tell her was Morgan's involvement as the team needed as much extra time as possible to go over what they found out. But in the end, and as much as he didn't want to, he'd have to call her again and report the accusation against the black agent.

Earlier, after leaving the bar, he had driven Garcia and Morgan back to the hospital where her car was parked so she could drive Morgan home. He ordered them to get a few hours sleep while he drove to the BAU. As he was now the only one currently in the office, he stared in the direction of the elevator bank understanding his subordinates would be arriving soon so they could start going over any new evidence collected by Reid, JJ, and Emily.

Twenty minutes later, Reid entered through the double Plexiglas doors of the BAU and noticed Rossi standing on the catwalk. When the older man spotted Reid, he left the catwalk and hurried down the steps to the lower level. The two agents met at the younger man's desk.

"Well?" asked Rossi. "Did you speak with the lab?"

"I did," Reid answered as he sat his messenger bag on his desk and sat down in his chair. "Hotch was definitely beaten with the bat. The lab found dark hairs mixed with the blood on the barrel. And the blood on it was A+ which from his medical records we know is the same blood type as Hotch's. But here's the weird thing. There were no fingerprints on the bat despite it showing signs of past use. There's just no way that bat couldn't have fingerprints on it unless the UnSub wore gloves or wiped it clean."

"I think you're right," Rossi agreed.

Reid glanced around. "Where are the others?" he asked.

Rossi sighed. "I sent JJ and Emily to question some of Aaron's next-door neighbors. Hopefully one of them saw or heard something that could tell us if somebody else arrived after Morgan who might have done this."

"What about Garcia? And did you catch up with Morgan?"

"We did. Morgan was at a bar when we found him. He told us he went to Aaron's after work to try and work out their problems, but Hotch sent him home because Morgan apparently didn't feel well. My guess is after Morgan left, our UnSub arrived. That can only mean one thing."

Reid nodded as realization of what Rossi's words meant came to him. "The UnSub was either watching Hotch's home or was already inside. He had to be to see Morgan arrive and leave."

"Exactly."

"Where are they now?"

"Penelope drove Morgan home while I came here. I had to call Strauss and tell her Hotch had been attacked."

"Did you tell her about the accusation against Morgan?"

"Not yet. After we know a bit more from the doctor, I'll call her again and tell her. We need as much time as possible to find out what Emily and JJ uncover as we can and formulate a plan how best to help Morgan before I call her."

"Sounds like a plan." There was a long moment of silence between the two men before one of them spoke again.

"Rossi, can I ask you something and promise you won't get angry at me?"

"You're about to ask me if I believe Morgan might have attacked Hotch like Jack said."

"Do you?"

"I don't have an answer to that question, kid. I really don't. I mean, we've all seen Morgan angry now and then, but I have to admit I've never seen him as furious with anybody as he was with Hotch yesterday. And I've never seen Hotch being as dismissive with anybody yesterday as he was with Derek. And while that doesn't answer your question, it's the best one I can give you right now."

The genius mulled over the senior agent's words. "I understand. I don't believe it either."

Rossi glanced at his watch. "I hope Emily and JJ get here soon. Hospital visiting hours start at ten."

Another thirty minutes went by before Emily and JJ walked in spotting the two men still at Reid's desk.

"Any luck?" Rossi asked, now sitting on the edge of the younger man's desk, facing the two women as did Reid.

The two women exchanged looks that didn't reveal anything. But something from their silence told both men that the news couldn't be good.

"Well," Prentiss began wearily. "JJ and I spoke with about six families who were home at the time. Four of them didn't hear or see anything. But two did see something but it isn't good."

"Let me guess," Reid interrupted. "They saw Morgan arrive."

"Afraid so," JJ continued. "One, a Mrs. Lorraine Cole, said she was watching out her living room window while waiting for her husband to return home from work. She saw Morgan drive up to the Hotchner house and watched him get out and go inside."

"How does she know it was Derek?" asked Rossi, hoping for mistaken identity at least.

"She's seen him before at Hotch's," said Prentiss. "Says she's seen each of us arrive at the Hotchner house a few times. She also described him to a 'T'…tall, black, muscular-looking, handsome, and bald. She also said he looked 'kinda mad' to her…her words not mine."

"The other was a teen named Margie Kimble, seventeen," added JJ. "She had been sitting outside her house on the steps, and saw Morgan pull up outside Hotch's house. I asked her how she knew it was Derek, and she told me she had seen him several times before when he had picked up Jack and brought him home later. She remembered once hearing Jack refer to him as Uncle Derek. She also had nearly the same description…tall, handsome, black, rugged-looking, and bald."

"Sounds like Morgan to a 'T'," Reid said. "Did either of them see Morgan leave and somebody else arrive afterward?"

"Only Margie," JJ said. "She saw Morgan leave later and said he seemed angry as he slammed the door behind him before he got into his vehicle and drove away."

"Doesn't sound good for Morgan, does it?" asked Reid, somberly. He was becoming increasingly worried about the man he thought of as a 'big brother.' He glanced up at Rossi and saw the man's eyes narrow into slits. "What are you thinking?" he asked.

"JJ, you just said Margie told you Derek slammed the door angrily behind him when he left Aaron's."

"That's right. What are you…?"

"When Jack called me, he said the living room door was wide open. So if Morgan slammed it shut when he left, how did it get open afterward? If anything, Aaron would've locked it after Derek left, not open the door and leave it open. Not with a small child in the house."

"Yeah but," Emily interjected. "When we arrived at Hotch's earlier, the door was open because of the police and paramedics coming and going. They could have left the door open for easier access."

"True. But Jack told me the door was wide open before police or paramedics had even been notified," Rossi said.

The realization came to the others as what Rossi said registered.

"He's right," Prentiss added, sounding a little hopeful. "That could prove somebody else came after Morgan left. Somebody who before they left, attacked Hotch, and left the door open."

"It's not a lot, but it's a start." He glanced at his watch again. "We need to get going if we're gonna visit Hotch. I'm sure Doctor Hochstein has probably checked on Aaron and will have an update for us, so let's get to the hospital and find out what he has to tell us."

* * *

When Rossi, JJ, Prentiss, and Reid arrived at the hospital and walked into the ICU waiting area, they were met by Garcia and Morgan who got to their feet anxiously.

Garcia, swallowing nervously, glanced at the black agent and then the others. "The doctor knows we're here," she stammered with a look at Rossi. "He should be back soon."

Nobody said anything and they all sat down to wait.

Moments later Doctor Hochstein walked into the waiting room. After greeting the team again, he began to give his update to them.

"Agent Hotchner is holding his own and fighting."

A look of relief washed over the faces of the others.

"What about his fractured skull?" Reid asked tentatively as if afraid of the answer.

"The swelling hasn't lessened, and until it does, it's impossible to determine if he's suffered any temporary or permanent damage."

"We'd like to see him," Rossi said in a thick voice as he struggled to control his emotions.

"Of course. But as I told you earlier only two at a time. I'm sorry."

"No problem," said Rossi.

Hochstein smiled and nodded his head. "Fine. Who wants to be the first two to visit?"

The older man glanced at his teammates. "Morgan, why don't you and Garcia go first," he said gently.

Morgan glanced at Rossi who nodded his understanding. He gripped Garcia's hand in his and followed the doctor out of the waiting room."

* * *

Nothing the doctor had told them could have prepared Morgan and Garcia for the scene that greeted them when they walked into Hotch's hospital room.

For Garcia, it took all of her strength not to collapse when she saw her boss looking so vulnerable. To see her strong-willed and resilient supervisor lying flat on his back with wires running everywhere across his body, was almost too much to handle. There were also numerous tubes running everywhere as well. Both she and Morgan could see bruises everywhere there weren't bandages which were covering just about his entire upper torso.

They could see bulky casts covering both his arms. He was nearly as pale as the white sheet covering his body up to his waist. They glanced at the ECG machine as it constantly beeped indicating his heart was beating. He had a bandage covering his broken nose, and bruises scattered across his face. To them, their Unit Chief looked like a jigsaw puzzle haphazardly put together incorrectly.

But despite that, what brought Garcia to tears other than the dressing wrapped around Hotch's head, was the sound made by the ventilator helping him breathe.

"Oh, Derek…" She whispered as she gripped Morgan's hand tightly as tears rolled down her cheeks. "The sound of that pump. I know it's breathing for him, but…but…" she couldn't finish her sentence.

Morgan, on the other hand, was shaken to his core. He knew his boss's injuries were serious. But seeing them up close like this made him angry. Angrier than he'd ever been. Angry that he hadn't been able to keep this from happening. Collecting himself, the duo made their way forward toward Hotch's bedside.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Garcia wiped her eyes hidden behind red and black octagonal frames, then took a deep breath to try and steady her nerves.

"Oh, sir," she cried picking up her boss's uninjured hand and squeezing it in both of her smaller ones. His hand was so limp and cold, she would have thought him dead if she hadn't seen the rise and fall of his chest. "The whole team's here, sir. They're in the waiting room waiting to see you. But the doctor said only two at a time can visit, and Morgan and I are the first two."

Morgan regained his composure, and gripped Garcia's hands which held Hotch's.

"Hey, Hotch, it's Morgan." He began to choke up and swallowed. "I am so, so sorry I didn't stop this from happening. I shoulda been there and not left you alone no matter how much my head hurt. This wasn't supposed to happen to you." He took a deep breath before continuing. "But I promise you, we'll get 'im, so don't worry. The only thing you need to do is get well and come back to us."

* * *

As a shaken Reid and Rossi walked out of Hotch's hospital room being the last two to visit him, the older man heard his cell phone buzz. He reached into his inner jacket pocket, pulled out the phone, and checked the Caller ID. Smiling, he put the phone to his ear.

"Hi, Jessica," he said. "No, there's no change. But the doctor says he's holding his own. I understand, but it's better if you hold off on bringing Jack to see his dad while he's in the ICU. It'll be much too upsetting for 'im. I can tell 'im if you want, but it'll be better coming from you. Okay. Call me if either of you need something. Will do. Bye." He disconnected the call and put his cell back in his jacket pocket. He noticed Reid studying him.

"What?" he asked the younger man.

"I was just thinking how we're going to move forward in our investigation and help Morgan once you call Strauss and tell her."

"I don't know yet, kid," said Rossi sticking both hands in the pockets of his jeans as they continued walking. "But the first thing I suggest we do is go over everything we have on this case from the beginning. That might help tell us what made Hotch a target."

Reid nodded. "In addition, we need to find out how he got into Hotch's house without being noticed."

The two men entered the waiting room and found the others looking distressed. They looked up when their subordinates walked into the room. But now was not the time to come unraveled or let imaginations run wild; now was the time to pull together. The older man stood in front of the others.

"Okay, we need to get back to the BAU, get to work, and find out who did this to Aaron and help Morgan. Hotch wouldn't want us spending all our time worrying about him. Also, I have to update Strauss on the situation."

Garcia glanced at Morgan before she sadly looked at the older man.

"By updating Strauss, that means telling her about the accusation against Morgan?" she said lower lip quivering. Despite knowing the truth, the accusation against her friend was still difficult to talk about.

"I'm afraid so, Kitten," Rossi said as kindly as he could.

"Wait a minute," JJ said as the others got to their feet. "I know this might be a long-shot, but I need to point it out." She saw the others staring at her in anticipation. "Are we going to have to do a cognitive interview with Jack?"

Rossi let out a deep breath. Considering what the child had been through recently, everyone hoped they could avoid making Jack relive the entire traumatic episode.

"Let's hope not," he said.

* * *

Twenty minutes after the team arrived at the BAU, they gathered all the files they had on the case and gathered in the conference room sans Garcia who went to get a notepad.

Ten minutes later, she burst through the door of the conference room, and sat down between Morgan and Prentiss. She glanced around the table.

"I hope I wasn't too late," she apologized.

"Don't worry about it," Rossi stressed as he and the others opened their case files.

"I thought you were going to call Strauss?" asked Reid looking at the senior agent.

"I will…but after we've reviewed the case. No sense in calling her before then and be interrupted by IA before we finish reviewing what we have."

"You won't hear me complain," teased Prentiss studying her open file.

"Go JJ," ordered Rossi.

Pressing her remote, a color photo of a middle-age man appeared on the white screen. The media liaison looked at her team as she spoke.

"Okay, Walter Hennessy, fifty-four years old, supervisor in the Laboratory Division of the FBI. He was struck with a lead pipe, and stabbed to death with a carving knife. He was found just inside the front door of his house by a co-worker who had come to pick him up for work as his own car was in the shop. Nobody answered the door when the co-worker rang the bell, so he tried the doorknob and found the door open. Hennessy's wife and teenage son had left the house thirty minutes earlier for work and school."

"Where did the UnSub get the carving knife?" asked Reid glancing at the photo of the body in the folder.

"According to what we know, the knife came from the kitchen."

JJ switched to the next picture of a blonde-haired man.

"This is Bryce DeGault, forty years of age, head of the Bureau's Finance Division. Like Hennessy, he was found just inside the front door by his wife who thought he had left for work. He had been beaten with a hammer from his own toolbox and stabbed with an ice pick."

"I assume the ice pick and hammer were DeGault's," said Rossi.

"They were." JJ then switched again, this time to a dark-haired man.

"Finally, we have Gill Macklin, head of the Counter-terrorism Division, fifty-eight years of age. Like the other two, he was found just inside his front door by his wife who came home from visiting her parents. He had been strangled then shot three times in the head at close-range with a twenty-two which wasn't recovered."

"And victim number four is Aaron Hotchner," JJ said as she switched one final time. "Now unlike the other three, Hotch, forty years of age, is still alive. He was found in his living room beaten with an aluminum bat and stabbed with a fireplace poker which hasn't been found yet."

She sat down and looked around the table at her teammates.

Morgan leaned back in his chair. "This guy doesn't care who he goes after as his victims are different ages despite all being male."

"Yeah but, two things these men all have in common is they are authority figures in their units," said Prentiss. "The other is this UnSub gained access to each victim's home without being spotted." She studied her file. "There are no signs of breaking and entering at any of the houses."

Rossi stroked his goatee. "Another thing they share except for Macklin is that the others were attacked with items from the victims' own homes; Hotch, a bat and a poker. DeGault, a hammer and an ice pick. And Hennessy, a kitchen carving knife."

"The difference here is that Hotch, for some reason, was left alive," Reid pointed out. "Now either our UnSub didn't have time to complete the murder, or he left Hotch alive for a reason. If we can just find out what that reason is."

"He seems organized as he knows not only the schedule of each man, but what time they would be leaving home, and what time they had to be at work," said Morgan. "That takes planning."

"We also need to find out how Morgan fits into this," said Reid. "He attacked Hotch right after Morgan left Hotch's house. That means he had to be watching the house and saw Derek arrive and leave. But what puzzles me is how did he determine Hotch fit his victimology?"

"You can work on that mystery, Einstein," Rossi said. Then he focused on the black agent.

"Derek, I need you to tell us why you were at Aaron's home the night he was attacked?"

Morgan shrugged his shoulders. "Not much to tell, really. After our argument yesterday, I went to his house after work to talk and hopefully resolve our problems."

"What was the argument about?" asked Reid.

"Hotch refused to back me after he got a call from the Section Chief about the job to head the Omaha Field office and they wanted me."

There were wide-eyed expressions from everybody. This was the first any of them had heard of this.

"And Hotch refused to back you?" asked Prentiss. "That doesn't sound like him."

"I didn't believe it either," Morgan continued. "But it's true. He refused to even discuss it when I showed up at his house. Just brushed me off and said he wasn't gonna change his mind so there was nothing to discuss. So I left. But I guess before I did, the conversation got a bit heated and that's probably what Jack overheard. But I swear on my Baby Girl's head I did not attack him."

"But for some reason our UnSub is going through a lot of trouble to make it look like you did," interjected JJ.

"And we need to find out why," added Rossi. He looked at the tech analyst. "Garcia, I want you to check on our three victims and…"

"But Hotch had me do that when the murders happened, sir," she said.

"Go through it again. I want to know if we overlooked anything that may have happened on their respective jobs. Something made these men targets to be killed."

"Yes, sir."

"Also, check and see if you can find anything in the personal histories of these three men," added Reid.

"Understood, my Junior Hunk-of-Grey Matter."

Rossi leaned back in his chair and let out a deep breath. "Let's get to work, people," he said as he started to his feet.

Minutes later, Reid, Emily and Morgan were back at their desks hard at work. Garcia had returned to her office starting her research on what Rossi and Reid had asked of her. JJ was in her office reviewing other cases. And Rossi was in his office on the upper level on the telephone.

After about forty-five minutes, Rossi stepped out of his office and onto the catwalk, gripping the railing so tightly his knuckles turned white. His face looked grim as he glanced the others in the Bullpen below.

"You talk with the Dragon Lady already?" asked Prentiss spotting him on the catwalk, causing Reid and Morgan to look up also.

"I did," Rossi replied. "And like we figured, Derek, you are gonna be suspended effective immediately. And we will be ordered to keep out of it. She's also calling Internal Affairs, so we can expect a visit from them before too long."

Morgan, Reid, and Prentiss exchanged glances with each other before the trio looked back at the older man.

"So now it starts…" said the raven-haired agent.

Rossi stared at Prentiss and slowly nodded. "And now it starts," he remarked solemnly.

* * *

It had been less than two hours when one of the two Plexiglas doors was pushed open, and two men and a woman entered, stern expressions on their faces. The two men were dressed in business suits. One was tall, powerfully built like a football linebacker, black, and bald. The other was equally as tall, thick blonde hair, blue eyes, but on the thin side. They made their way up the steps to the catwalk. But as they walked along the catwalk, Emily raised her head and watched them as they walked in the direction of Rossi's office.

Prentiss hissed in the direction of Reid's desk to get his attention which she did. He, in turn, hissed in Morgan's direction and got his attention. The three agents watched as the trio approached the senior agent's office.

Erin Strauss was not happy right now as she walked into Rossi's office without knocking only to notice Rossi already looking in her direction. He didn't know who the two gentlemen were, but he had a pretty good idea.

"I saw you approaching, Erin," he said with a smirk. His eyes shifted to the two men standing behind her. "I trust you didn't bring a welcoming committee."

The trio stepped further into Rossi's office.

"Don't be sarcastic, David," she replied. "This is serious. This is Agent Derrick Mason," she gestured to the black man first. "And Agent Simon Flaxen." She gestured to the blonde man. "They are from Internal Affairs."

Rossi slowly got to his feet. "Gentlemen," he addressed the two agents politely who nodded in a silent greeting. Then he stared at Strauss. "You don't waste any time, do you, Erin? We only spoke a short while ago."

"I don't like to waste time when we have a possible rogue agent in the Bureau."

"Rogue?" asked Rossi with arched eyebrows. "That's a bit strong, isn't it? Especially since Morgan hasn't been charged much less convicted of anything yet."

"In case you haven't noticed, David, a serious accusation has been made against Agent Morgan, and these gentlemen are here to investigate. Until then, Agent Morgan is suspended with pay until their investigation is completed. However, from what little I know of the situation, he is in serious trouble which could develop into criminal trouble. So I strongly suggest you and your team stay out of this matter and cooperate completely with Internal Affairs."


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Agents Derrick Mason and Simon Flaxen stepped out from behind Erin Strauss and sat in the two chairs in front of Rossi's desk. Strauss stepped back and closed the office door before she leaned against the bookcase in front of the window facing the bullpen. She crossed her arms and stared at her senior agent with a harsh glare.

Rossi, still with a grin on his face, sat behind his desk and faced the two men, clasping his hands atop his desk.

"Now, gentlemen," he said pleasantly. "How might I be of help?"

Flaxen crossed his legs and folded his arms across his chest. "Tell us about Derek Morgan."

Rossi sighed and studied the man. He had a glare that could rival Hotch. He figured he'd have to watch his step with this man.

"What do you want to know?" He watched Mason cross his legs, and remove a notepad and pen from inside his breast pocket, placing the open pad on his knee.

Flaxen studied the older man with narrowed eyes. He suspected this man in front of him was not going to be intimidated so easily, nor volunteer something without being pressured if then.

"What is he like?"

Leaning back in his chair with elbows on the armrests, Rossi pyramided his fingertips together in front of his face. "He's a damn fine agent. Excellent profiler. Dependable and completely trust worthy."

"What about his temper? I understand he is quick to anger."

Rossi shrugged his shoulders noncommittally. "I won't deny he gets angry. Each of us do when we work cases where UnSubs are a step ahead of us. But he doesn't let it interfere with his job."

"What about with his teammates?" asked Mason. "How's his temper around them?"

"Fine."

"Let me rephrase the question. How's his temper with authority figures?"

"He and I have no problems if that's what you mean."

"What about with Agent Hotchner?"

"Fine."

Flaxen arched an eyebrow as he stared at Rossi giving him the impression he didn't believe what he was being told.

"Fine? That's not what we heard, agent. We did research on Agent Morgan after Section Chief Strauss contacted us. He and Agent Hotchner had an argument in Agent Hotchner's office which was overheard by several employees. We understand it got heated."

Rossi remained silent for now.

"Did that have something to do with the job to head the Omaha Field office that Agent Morgan was offered?"

"As far as I know he refused that job."

"Refused?" said Flaxen. "I suspect it had more to do with the fact that Agent Hotchner refused to give his backing. Just as he refused to give it when Agent Morgan was selected to head the New York office. Isn't that right?"

"It was Morgan's decision to refuse both jobs."

Mason smirked. "That may be so, but we understand he was quite angry with Agent Hotchner for not backing him, wasn't he?"

Rossi pursed his lips into a thin line. "I wouldn't say he was angry, but he was a little upset."

"Oh, we're sure he was more than a little upset," Mason growled. "In fact, he and Agent Hotchner got into another argument yesterday in Agent Hotchner's office which was not only heard by several people in the bullpen, but carried over into the break area. We were also told by several witnesses that once in the break area, Agent Morgan knocked a coffee pot and coffee cup out of Agent Hotchner's hands. I call that being more than a little upset, wouldn't you?"

Rossi tilted his head and sighed. He clasped his hands across his midsection. "Well, since you seem to have all the facts, what do you need with me?" he said sarcastically.

"I suggest you watch your mouth, David," Strauss interrupted just then. "Your wisecracks are not appreciated, and your entire team will be watched until this investigation has been completed. So I suggest you watch yourself."

Rossi smirked despite the warning. If the matter wasn't so serious he would find it laughable. But he couldn't. He let out a deep breath and stared at the Section Chief with a blank expression which revealed nothing.

"Let's just cut the crap, Erin. We all know the situation, so let's just get to the point and stop pussyfooting around. What do you want?"

"What do we want?" Strauss repeated as she stood upright and approached Rossi's desk. She leaned forward with arms straight and palms downward on his desk. She brought her face so close to his their noses nearly touched. "What we want, what we _demand_ …." she hissed in a low voice. "…is for Agent Morgan to answer several questions for these gentlemen in Internal Affairs… _n_ ow!"

* * *

Emily, Reid, and Morgan continued to watch the goings on in Rossi's office from their desks in the bullpen.

"Wish we knew what they were saying," remarked Reid.

"Whatever it is I'm sure it's not good," Prentiss chimed in. "What d'ya think, Morgan?"

The bald agent arched his eyebrows and studied the raven-haired female.

"I agree with you, Princess. It's probably not good. But then we expected this. Look out, here comes Rossi."

They saw the office door open, and Rossi, Mason, and Flaxen step out onto the catwalk. Rossi looked grim, the others impassive.

"Morgan, you need to accompany these gentlemen to Internal Affairs for questioning," the senior agent said seriously.

The bald agent glanced at Reid and Prentiss, then back at Rossi as he got to his feet.

"Sure," he replied as he headed in the direction of the steps leading to the catwalk while Mason and Flaxen walked down the stairs to meet him. Prentiss and Reid continued to watch with concerned looks on their faces.

"Rossi looks worried," Reid mumbled to Emily.

* * *

Minutes later, the two IA agents and Morgan sat around a table in an interrogation room. A video camera, its red light on showing it was operational, sat on a tripod in the corner of the room near the one-way mirror.

Morgan looked around the room. It was similar to the interrogation rooms the BAU had. The thing there was he was used to being on the opposite side of the one-way mirror watching one of his team question a suspect. Here, he was the suspect being questioned and he didn't like it.

Morgan studied Mason closely as the man glared at him. Morgan figured he'd have to watch himself around both IA agents. He'd have to make sure to stick with Hotch's plan and make IA believe and accept what he said as the truth.

"I am Derrick Mason, and this is my partner, Simon Flaxen, and as you know we're from Internal Affairs. And as we're sure you are aware, we are videotaping this interview."

Morgan clasped his hands on the table. He shrugged. "No need to tell me. I know how these interviews work."

"We're sure you do, agent," smirked Flaxen. Morgan noticed that despite the man's smirk, the look in his blue eyes was cold.

"Anyways, we have a few questions to ask you about the attack on your Unit Chief Aaron Hotchner," said Mason.

"Okay. But why me?"

"Because agent, it's been brought to our attention that you are the one who may have attacked Agent Hotchner and put him in the hospital in extremely critical condition."

"I won't deny Hotch and I have had our differences over the years, but I didn't attack him. I could never attack any of my teammates."

"Why don't you start from the beginning and tell us what happened the day of your argument with Agent Hotchner?" asked Mason.

As precisely as he could, Morgan repeated the cover story he and Hotch had fabricated as part of their plan. When he was done, Morgan looked at Flaxen and sensed the IA agent wasn't buying it.

Mason stared at Morgan through narrowed eyes. "Are you in the habit of going to your boss's home, uninvited, after work?"

Morgan sighed and faced both men.

"I went there with the hope we could work out our differences and he'd perhaps change his mind about supporting me for the Omaha Field office position."

"But he didn't, did he?" asked Flaxen coolly.

"No."

Flaxen crossed his arms and glared at the profiler. "So you became angry and attacked him."

"No."

"Of course you did, agent. He made you angry just as he did when he refused to support you for the job in New York, and you couldn't take it. You wanted him to pay for not recommending you for the Omaha job. You beat him within an inch of his life, didn't you?"

"No! And stop putting words in my mouth!"

"Just so you know agent, when you followed Agent Hotchner into the break area yesterday, you were overheard shouting at him. In fact, it's been reported that several witnesses said you looked angry enough to kill. Their words, not ours," added Mason.

Morgan massaged his forehead as he felt a headache beginning. "I was angry yes, but I didn't hurt Hotch! I couldn't! I wouldn't! I respect and like him too much! Besides, I'm sure he had his reasons for not backing me for the position."

"We're sure he did," said Flaxen. "Too bad we can't ask him what those reasons are right now."

Morgan let out a deep breath. "So what now? Am I suspended?"

"Yes, you are," said Flaxen as he and Mason got to their feet. "Agent Morgan, give me your credentials. You are suspended with pay effective immediately pending the completion of our investigation."

Getting to his feet as well, Morgan handed his badge and credentials to the IA agent. He had to admit he felt naked without them.

"Can I leave now?" Morgan asked quietly.

"You can go," said Flaxen. "But if what we suspect is true, you won't be getting these credentials back."

Morgan stared at the IA goons with narrowed eyes. IA was never liked in the FBI. It was the same way with IA when Morgan worked in the police department.

With a sideways glance at Flaxen, Morgan walked out of the door.

* * *

Minutes after Morgan had left the interrogation room, Flaxen stormed over to the video recorder and switched it off. Then he turned and glared at his partner in anger.

"What the hell was that?" he hissed.

Mason was puzzled. "What was what?"

"You act like you believe Derek Morgan is innocent. And we both know he's guilty as hell!" Flaxen hissed.

Mason crossed his arms. "I don't know any such thing. Personally, I don't believe he did it. Nobody saw him attack Agent Hotchner. Face it, everything we have so far is circumstantial."

"I don't believe you," Flaxen said, aghast. "Not only is a dirty agent _still_ with the Bureau, but to make matters worse, he's going to _continue_ being paid while suspended. If anything, he should be arrested for the attempted murder of Aaron Hotchner. And for all we know, he could end up being guilty of _other crimes_ as well." Flaxen was thinking of the three murders he and his department had heard about. But he knew IA would need much more proof before ridding the Bureau of a 'dirty' agent, and maybe bringing a murderer to justice.

Mason smirked and studied his partner with crossed arms. "It's not enough just to say and think Derek Morgan is guilty. You're gonna need proof that can't be refuted. And so far, you haven't shown me anything doing that. Not. One. Single. Thing."

Flaxen grinned a twisted grin that normally put the fear of God in someone. But not in Mason.

"Don't worry. I _promise_ by the time this investigation is over, there will be _no doubt_ in your or anybody else's mind that Derek Morgan is _guilty_ as hell! You have my word on that!"

* * *

Prentiss, Reid, and both JJ and Garcia who had joined them, looked up when one of the Plexiglas door of the BAU was pushed open in anger, and Morgan stormed in. He let the door close behind him. The profiler strode angrily in the direction of his desk.

"What happened?" asked Reid.

"What do you think happened? I got suspended is what happened," Morgan snapped. Less than a minute later, he blew out a deep breath. "I'm sorry, Pretty Boy. I didn't mean to snap at you. It's just that the agents from Internal Affairs have me riled." He then proceeded to tell the others what happened.

"Sounds like a couple of real jerks. Who bugged you the most?" asked JJ with arms crossed.

"Flaxen. His partner is Derrick Mason." He let out a deep breath. "Garcia, add Simon Flaxen's name to your list and do research on him as well."

"Your wish is my command, My Caramel Mocha Surprise," she answered writing the name down on her pad. "Exactly what am I looking for, pray tell?

"I don't know. I just got a bad vibe off of 'im when he questioned me."

Prentiss's eyes narrowed. "You can't be thinking an Internal Affairs agent attacked Hotch?"

Morgan shrugged. "I'm not thinking anything right now." He grabbed his jacket off the back of his chair. "Oh, before I forget, the doctor told us Hotch had been tased. We need to recheck the autopsy reports on the other victims and see if they have the same burns."

"You think the UnSub might have used a Taser to subdue his victims?" Prentiss asked.

"It's possible. These were all trained FBI agents who could handle themselves if need be, and in Hotch's case, even more so."

"If he used a Taser, that could explain how he got control over each man," said Reid.

"And if he didn't, then we need to find out how he did gain control over each one," Morgan explained.

Then with a final upward glance at Rossi's office, Morgan donned his jacket. He saw Strauss appear on the catwalk with Rossi's door open behind her. She had a disdainful look on her face which could be seen by those below in the bullpen.

"Agent Morgan, you have been suspended. Why are you still here?"

Morgan looked at the woman while struggling to keep a pleasant expression on his face. "Just saying goodbye to my teammates, ma'am."

"Don't take too long doing it," she said harshly.

"Yes, ma'am."


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

After Strauss had left the floor, Rossi received a phone call before asking his teammates to join him in the conference room. Once the rest of the team were seated, he glanced around the table.

"I saw Morgan in the bullpen earlier," he said. "Did he say what IA wanted to find out from him?"

Emily and JJ took turns explaining what the team had been told as the senior agent leaned back in his chair with arms crossed and eyebrows knitted.

"I agree with 'im," he said afterwards. "Sounds as if this Simon Flaxen is gonna do whatever he has to to prove Morgan did this. He could be trouble."

"You think he'd falsify evidence to make Derek look guilty?" asked Prentiss fearfully.

"No way," Rossi explained. "But I'm aware of his reputation with IA. Whatever else he might be, he's not dishonest. But he'll keep digging until he proves Morgan guilty."

"So he'll keep digging until he finds something."

"We can't let Morgan take the rap for something we know he didn't do," said Reid.

"And we won't," Rossi added.

"Before we go any further," began JJ staring at Rossi. "What did Strauss say to you? We saw her talking to you after the IA agents and Morgan left."

Rossi chuckled. "Nothing we didn't expect. Other than again ordering us to keep out of the investigation, we've been placed on downtime to catch up on paperwork on our past cases. She mainly wants us here in case IA needs to question us."

JJ smirked. "That's Strauss." The others concurred.

"I received a phone call from the hospital," Rossi continued.

"Something happen to Hotch?" asked Reid as he and the others looked worried.

"No, he's fine," the older man began. "But it does concern him. Doctor Hochstein is gonna begin removing Hotch from the ventilator tomorrow." There was a small grin on his face.

There were smiles at this news. It wasn't much considering the Unit Chief's serious condition. But at this point, any improvement, no matter how small, was good news. Rossi intertwined his fingers atop the table. "Okay, what do you have to report from reviewing the information when the three murders took place? Reid?"

The youngest agent glanced at the open folder in front of him. "I didn't have much time to review, but I did notice something which by itself isn't strange or even odd, but I found interesting."

"Which is?"

"DeGault, Hennessy, and Macklin were married and Hotch is single. At least, it goes to show that this UnSub doesn't have a preference as to who he kills. Married or single doesn't matter to this guy."

"What else?"

"Well," said Prentiss looking through her file. "There were no signs of breaking and entering at any of the residences. That means the victims, including Hotch, let him into their homes. So the question is, who might each of our victims let into their homes with no questions asked?"

Rossi studied the face of their youngest. "Something troubling you, kid?"

"I was just thinking. A person is normally careful who they let into their home. It's ingrained in every agent to be wary when a stranger comes to their door. And a parent has added reasons to be careful."

"What are you getting at?" encouraged Prentiss studying Reid.

"Just this. To allow a person into their homes without question, that person would have to be a friend, a repairman, or a coworker."

"I think I see where you're going with this," Rossi interjected. "You're saying that whoever killed the others and attacked Aaron might be one of those possibilities."

"Exactly."

The others digested this new information.

"We know from what the police found out earlier when they questioned the neighbors after each attack that no repairmen were in the area," added Prentiss scanning the police reports in her file. "So that leaves a friend or coworker."

JJ shook her head tossing back several loose strands of long blonde hair.

"What are the chances of all four men knowing the same friend?" she asked.

"Slim and none," Prentiss frowned.

"That leaves coworker," Rossi remarked. He noticed the other three studying him. "And since all three deceased worked with the Bureau as did Hotch, a coworker is the most likely even though we can't entirely dismiss the others."

The other three groaned at the possibility that one of their own may have been responsible for murder and attempted murder.

Rossi understood the implications. "If anything it does narrow our search parameters somewhat. We're looking for someone that all four men felt comfortable enough being around to allow into their homes." Then he looked at Reid. "Kid, you went to the lab to check on the baseball bat used in Hotch's assault. I realize you already told me what you found out, but I need you to repeat it."

The females focused on the young genius who was now in his element when talking about facts or statistics.

"The bat had black hairs on it mixed with A+ blood on the barrel, and we know from Hotch's records that he has A+ blood."

Prentiss mulled over what she was hearing. "Okay…so you're saying Hotch was beaten with the bat in addition to being stabbed after being incapacitated with a Taser."

"I also examined Aaron's hands when we visited him in the hospital," Rossi explained. "He had no defensive injuries. So whoever attacked him, he didn't put up a fight. Also, the doctor told us Aaron had Taser burns on his left lower back. That tells me he felt comfortable enough around this person to turn his back on 'im."

"If the person who attacked Hotch is the same person who killed the other three, then that means our UnSub could be somebody on the inside," JJ pointed out.

Rossi was about to respond when his phone vibrated. Pulling his cell from his inner jacket pocket, he checked the caller ID. He held the phone in both hands in front of him and pressed a button.

"You've got me, Reid, JJ and Emily here. I'm putting you on speaker."

He pressed another button then lay the phone in front of him on the table.

"Go ahead, Penelope."

"I'm still researching the histories of all the male agents here in Quantico, but, and it's a good thing I can multitask, because I did get the 411 on Simon Flaxen that my Chocolate Mocha Dreamboat asked me to."

"What did you find?" asked Emily with hands clasped on top of the table.

"Not a whole heck of a lot. It seems that Agent Flaxen has been with the Bureau fifteen years; six of which have been with Internal Affairs. He's never been married, has no children, and is very, very good at his job. He is also known to date many, many women. In fact, my Derek can't even hold a candle to him as Flaxen looks like the original player."

"Poor Derek," Prentiss snickered quietly. "Better not tell him that, Garcia. It might shatter his ego."

"Never fear, my Raven-haired Goddess. I shall never make my Dark Chocolate Delight feel more miserable than he already does."

"All kidding aside, people," Rossi interjected though grateful for the brief respite. "You find anything else on Flaxen?"

"Yes, sir. He doesn't socialize much with his coworkers, but does with people off the job. He'll go out with his coworkers when invited for a drink, but does not let himself get drunk. He is a big METS fan and a season ticket-holder. He also enjoys playing the game and is on the unit baseball team where according to his coworkers is a fairly good player."

Rossi stroked his goatee. "Garcia, have you had a chance to look at the autopsy records of our three deceased yet?" Something was eating away at the older man.

"I haven't finished my search yet, sir."

"I understand that, but have you found anything on whether the others had any Taser burns?"

"Matter of fact, each man did, sir. There were Taser burns on the lower backs of each of our deceased."

Rossi smiled. "I thought as much."

"Glad I could accommodate, sir. But there's something else which I found strange."

"What's that?"

"I was looking through the police reports on the three murders, and after each one, there were no calls received by the police immediately afterward."

"So who called the police?" asked JJ.

"According to the locals, the calls were made by the people who found the bodies much later."

Rossi frowned. "So our UnSub only called the locals after he attacked Aaron and not after he killed the others."

"Which means he wanted Hotch to be saved," added Prentiss. "He didn't want him to die outright like the others."

"Garcia, you said Flaxen has been with the Bureau fifteen years of which six have been with IA," Reid said stopping the call from ending.

"That is correct."

"What is his work record? Any red flags there?"

"Let's see…well, he did receive a Commendation a year ago."

"What did he do to get that?"

"He was honored for distinguished public service," the tech analyst added. "Other than that there's nothing."

"Humph," Rossi remarked. "Sounds like your average workaholic."

"Any bad habits to speak of?" Prentiss asked.

"There's nothing. Nada. Zero. Zilch. Sorry. But I'll keep looking while I continue my search and give a yell if I find anything. Garcia out." The tech analyst ended the call.

"Looks like you were right," Prentiss said looking at Rossi. "The others were incapacitated by a Taser just like Hotch."

"That's how he did it," said Reid becoming excited. "He gained access to each house and our victims felt comfortable around him because he wasn't a stranger. They each turned their backs on him for a moment, and that's when he used a Taser to incapacitate them and get control."

* * *

He hurried from one manned newspaper stand to another hoping to find one still selling the morning edition of the paper; but couldn't find a single one. Determined, he kept walking until he found a metal newspaper stand demanding one dollar in change on a corner. He dug deep into his pockets hoping to find the change and silently cheered when he did. Dropping the loose coins into the slot on the front of the stand, he raised the lid, grabbed the last newspaper from inside, and let the lid drop closed. He scanned the front of the paper until he found what he sought in a single column located on the bottom of the front page. A smile broke out on his face as he read the headline.

' **FBI Agent Found Beaten in his Own Home'**

Beneath the headline was a photo of Aaron Hotchner. As he quickly read the story, he noticed that the agent had been found alive which to him was good news. A smirk appeared when nowhere did it mention any suspects in the brazen attack.

He had chosen Hotchner after careful checking. The agent showed he hadn't learned anything, and needed to be taught a lesson. He decided Aaron Hotchner needed to pay for failing to change his ways thus earning him a reprieve and saving his life.

In his mind, Hotchner was still alive because he was a single father of a young child. The man's son was the sole reason he hadn't killed him outright in his home as he had the others. Jack Hotchner was the reason he called the police before he ran.

The others had older children and spouses. Hotchner was a widower.

He recalled after beating the agent nearly unconscious, he then took a few steps up the stairwell to see if Jack Hotchner was present. He didn't know what he would do if he had found the child at the top of the stairs; but fortunately he didn't. That made him feel better before he returned to the living room, grabbed the fireplace poker, and stabbed Hotchner twice in the abdomen.

Then out of concern for the boy, he called the police to alert them of the attack hoping they'd get there in time to save Hotchner. Then he ran.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

Derek Morgan walked into his living room, and tossed the folded newspaper he bought and tucked under his arm onto a nearby table. After glimpsing the story on Hotch, he found it did little to supply him with answers. He promised himself to reread it later when he collapsed in his favorite chair, exasperated.

If he is completely honest with himself, he is bored beyond belief. He desperately needed something with which to occupy himself and his mind.

When he looked at his watch, he noticed it after three in the afternoon. He missed being in the office working with the others and helping find who attacked Hotch. And too late in the day to work on one of the eight properties he'd been renovating.

While he massaged his forehead, he ground his lower jaw. Not able to stand the inactivity any longer, he pushed himself up from his chair and walked across the room to his telephone. He grabbed the receiver, and put it to his ear while pressing the digits of the number he remembered by heart, and waited as it rang.

"You've reached the Office of the Goddess of the All-Knowing. Speak mortal and prepare to be dazzled."

Her words brought a smile to his face. "Hey, Baby Girl, it's me."

"How are you? I didn't expect you to contact us so soon."

"I'm bored. And I'm sorry to call you on your cell. But I don't want you to be in trouble with IA if they're monitoring your phone."

"I'm not worried, my love. Talk to me."

"I realize it's too soon, but you got anything you can tell me?"

Eager to help her best friend, the tech analyst repeated everything she told her team earlier. When she finished, she waited for a response. When there was none, she feared the connection might be lost.

"Derek?"

"I'm still here, momma," Morgan replied sounding disappointed. "I was just hoping you found something useful on Flaxen. Guess I figured wrong."

"Sorry."

"Don't be sorry."

She started to say something but suddenly paused. "Wait a hot minute…our Italian Stallion is calling me. Do you want me to connect the three of us or…"

"Go handle Rossi's call. But tell him to call me later. He and I need to talk."

"Will do, lover." Garcia ended her call with Morgan, who with a sigh, hung up his own receiver.

With a shake of his head, he glanced around the living room. What did he do now?

"Guess I'll order something to eat," he told the open air. "And then go back to being bored."

* * *

After speaking with Garcia, Rossi called Morgan's cell. After a few seconds he heard a familiar voice.

"Thanks for calling me back, man."

"No problem. Garcia gave me your message. There's not much I can tell you right now, but I'll give you what we have so far."

"Lay it on me."

Rossi proceeded to update the suspended agent on what conclusions the team had drawn regarding the current situation.

Morgan closed his eyes as he listened imagining his boss being viciously attacked and felt his breathing become labored and his chest constrict.

"Looks like Hotch might have been right about it being somebody on the inside," he said sadly. "But is this gonna be enough for Flaxen and IA to at least consider other possibilities.

Rossi sighed. "I doubt it. Sounds like Flaxen is fixated on you. I have Garcia checking on all the male agents in Quantico for possibilities. We're gonna need something solid if we're gonna change his mind."

"Anything I can do to help?"

"I don't think so, at least not right now anyway."

Derek blew out a deep breath. "C'mon, man. I'm goin' crazy sittin' here. I need something to take my mind off how crazy I'm goin'. There must be something."

Rossi chewed his lower lip for a moment. "Matter of fact there just might be something."

"Name it," Morgan replied with renewed hope.

"I know you told me and Garcia what happened after you arrived at Hotch's. But with all the chaos and the medicine you took later, you might have forgotten or overlooked something. I'd like to have you take part in a cognitive interview."

Morgan paused. Of everything he wanted to do, a cognitive interview wasn't one of them. "Why?" he asked. "I already told you and Garcia everything that happened."

"I know. Look, all I'm saying is right now we need a starting point and you're the only one who can give it to us."

"Okay," Morgan relented. "When do you want to do it?"

"As soon as possible. How about later today? I can stop by around five. Is that okay with you?"

"Fine. I'll be here."

"Good. Listen, I know it might not seem like much to you right now. But trust me when I say that you are helping us and you're helping Aaron. Whatever else you remember may help us find this bastard sooner."

"I know. I just wish I could help more is all."

Rossi smiled even though he knew the bald agent couldn't see it. "And you will, trust me," he said. "Bye." The older man chuckled as he disconnected the call. He understood how Morgan felt, but he truly believed the cognitive interview would prove fruitful in the end.

* * *

"Thanks for your help," Flaxen said before he hung up his receiver then wrote something on his notepad. Finished, he leaned back in his chair and let out a deep breath as he replayed in his mind what he had just learned in his telephone call. He knew finding proof that Derek Morgan was not only responsible for the attempted murder of Aaron Hotchner, but for the three earlier murders would not be easy.

But he promised himself he would not stop until there were no longer any doubts to _anyone_ that Morgan was responsible. He'd even prove it to his partner who didn't seem as convinced as he was. Then again, it _always_ took Mason more time to be convinced; so being hesitant to believe the worst about someone wasn't unusual to him.

As he reached again for his receiver to make another call, he heard the sound of approaching footsteps from behind. He withdrew his hand and turned his chair around to face whoever it was. He saw it was his partner, and he was holding a single sheet of paper.

"What did you find?" he asked the black agent looking up at him.

Mason blew out a deep breath and handed his partner the sheet of paper. He then stuck both hands in his pants pockets.

"Not much," Mason began. "But I was able to reach Morgan's mother, Fran, in Chicago. She's the widow of a Chicago police officer. Husband was killed in the line of duty trying to thwart a purse snatching. Because she was at work, her husband had picked up their son, and he was in the patrol car when the shooting happened."

"So Morgan witnessed his father's shooting?" asked Flaxen. Despite being a dedicated agent, he wasn't completely devoid of emotions and compassion. He felt bad that as a child the profiler had witnessed his father's murder, but it didn't cut any slack with him with the charges Morgan was facing.

"He died in his son's arms. Needless to say Fran wasn't too pleased to hear from me and gave me a piece of her mind especially when I brought up her husband's death and how it might have affected Morgan."

Flaxen chuckled as he could picture Fran Morgan lashing out at anybody in Internal Affairs conducting an investigation of her son.

"And…?"

"It's just what we expected. Seems she met Hotchner's team a few years ago when they were in Chicago on a case. Said repeatedly how much her son liked and respected his teammates. Said she never noticed any tension between Hotchner and her 'Baby Boy' as she calls her son." He chuckled. "She also called us the rear end of a horse for thinking he would do such a thing."

Flaxen couldn't stop the small laugh from coming out of his mouth. Fran Morgan's reaction was not unlike the mother of any other agent he had investigated. Mothers and sometimes fathers were always the last to accept the truth about their child. But her comments wouldn't deter him. He was determined to continue with the investigation.

"How about you?" asked Mason. "Anything?"

Flaxen picked up his pad so he'd have his facts straight. "At least Derek Morgan told us the truth about this. Hotchner did receive a phone call from his Section Chief about Morgan. I just got off the phone with Mario Collazo, the Director of the Omaha office. He told me he did phone Erin Strauss about Morgan's availability for the position of Unit Chief. He was told she'd have to call Morgan's Unit Chief and inquire." Flaxen tossed his pad back on his desk and faced his partner.

"And we already know what happened after that," Mason said. "Hotchner told Morgan about the job and that he refused to recommend him for it."

"And Morgan got angry as this is the second time Hotchner refused to recommend him, and he got pissed, went to Hotchner's house after work, and tried to kill him. End of story." A diabolical grin appeared on the blonde man's face. It was a start.

Mason shook his head. He still wasn't convinced of Morgan's guilt as his partner.

He sighed and crossed his arms. "I admit it doesn't look good for Morgan," he said. "But we need more if we intend to prove anything. Suspicion alone isn't enough."

"I'm not worried. By the time I'm done, even you will be convinced of his guilt."

"What do you want to do next? We don't have enough probable cause to get a search warrant yet."

Flaxen sighed. "Then I suggest we get some." He turned his chair around, grabbed the receiver, and put it to his ear.

"Who are you calling?"

"We need to question Jack Hotchner," Flaxen said dialing a number. "He's the sole witness to his father's attack and might be able to give us what we need to get that search warrant."

Mason paused. "You got to be kidding. Hotchner's kid isn't gonna talk to us."

"I know," Flaxen replied as he listened to the ringing on the other end. "But I have an idea. I just need to make a phone call. Hello? This is Agent Flaxen with Internal Affairs. I'd like to speak with Agent Jennifer Jareau. I'll hold."

He glanced over his shoulder at Mason as he covered the mouthpiece with one hand. "Jareau is trained in child interrogation. Hello? Agent Jareau? Agent Flaxen. I need you to do us a favor. I need you to bring Jack Hotchner into the BAU tomorrow morning, and have a videotape recorder set up in a conference room for us. We want you to get him to talk to you about what happened the night his father was attacked. Agent Mason and I will be watching and listening outside the one-way mirror." A frown appeared. "I suggest you do, agent, or I will be forced to report to Chief Strauss your refusal to cooperate." He smirked. "Tomorrow afternoon at two p.m. will be fine. Thank you." He hung up the receiver, got to his feet, and grabbed his jacket off the back of his chair.

"Where are we going now?" asked Mason.

"I suggest we pay Agent Morgan a visit and have another talk. Maybe we can get something out of him."

Both agents left the office to head to their destination.

* * *

Morgan closed the door after paying and tipping a deliveryman after delivering an order of General Tso's chicken, brown fried rice, and broccoli from a Chinese Restaurant several blocks away. Once he closed his door, he walked into the kitchen, and placed the plastic bags on a counter. He reached up and removed a dinner plate and a glass, then pulled open a drawer and took out several utensils. After loading his plate with food, he opened the refrigerator and pulled out a gallon carton of milk, and filled his glass.

After returning the carton to the refrigerator, he returned to the living room and placed both on an end table on which he dropped the newspaper, and plopped into his chair. He put the plate on his lap and started to eat his meal. Occasionally he would take a drink of milk to wash everything down before returning to his food. He finished the meal and milk in about thirty minutes.

Once done, he got up from his chair, and walking into the kitchen again, washed the plate, utensils and glass and sat them on the counter to drain. He then put the remainder of the food in the refrigerator for later. Returning to the living room, he sat back down in his chair, picked up the folded newspaper, and turned it over until he came to the article on Hotch and began to read slowly. He was halfway through the story when the doorbell rang.

Sighing in disgust, Morgan tossed the paper onto the table, got to his feet, and glanced at his watch, noticing it was close to four-thirty. He had a suspicion as to who might be outside, and secretly hoped they wouldn't be here when Rossi arrived in half-an-hour. He opened the door, groaned, and rolled his eyes seeing Mason and Flaxen standing on the doorstep.

"Good afternoon, Agent Morgan," Flaxen announced with a pleasant expression which didn't fool the profiler one bit. The IA agents, without an invitation, moved past Morgan and into the living room. "We're here to ask you more questions."

He didn't give the agent a chance to respond as he and Mason continued further into the living room. It was then Flaxen spotted the newspaper laying on the table with the article about Hotchner showing. He picked it up and smirked as the first sentence caught his eyes.

"Reading about your handiwork, agent?" he said tossing the paper in the chair. He noticed Morgan's scowl as the man crossed his arms.

"Ask your damn questions then get the hell out of my house!" Morgan announced. "I'm busy!"

"Busy doing what?" asked Mason. "Hiding the fireplace poker you used to stab Agent Hotchner? Or perhaps the gun you used to shoot Agent Macklin."

Again Morgan glanced at his watch; it was going on four-fifty. He couldn't call Rossi and warn him to delay coming or that IA was in his apartment. He could only imagine what the agents would say and do if he showed up at his front door with them there. He just had to hope the senior agent would sense something was up on his own and delay ringing his doorbell.

But the glance at his watch didn't go unnoticed by Flaxen. He stared at the profiler. "I noticed you looking at your watch, agent. You expecting company?" he asked sarcastically.

Morgan returned the glare. He didn't like Flaxen any more than the IA agent liked him. So instead of answering him, he stayed silent.

Flaxen smirked sensing Morgan was trying to get under his skin, and he refused to allow it to happen. He and Mason sat side-by-side on the sofa. "We suggest you sit down, Agent Morgan."

Grinding his lower jaw, Morgan picked up the newspaper from his chair and tossed it onto the table. He then sat in the chair and crossed his arms. He glared at both agents.

Flaxen crossed his legs and removed his pen and notepad, placing the pad on his top thigh. Mason crossed his arms and glanced around the room. That's when his eyes fell on a shirt draped haphazardly on the back of a chair. It showed a button missing on one sleeve.

* * *

It was nearing five minutes to five when Dave Rossi parked his car a block away and across the street from Morgan's. This way he could see his friend's house, and keep out of sight at the same time. He had spotted the strange car in Morgan's driveway when he approached. A warning went off in his head telling him something wasn't right. Checking his watch, he noticed the time. And instead of getting out of his vehicle, he grabbed his cell and called the BAU.

"Prentiss, it's me. I'm at Morgan's and something's not right here. There's a strange car parked outside his place. Could be Internal Affairs. I'm gonna wait out of sight until I see them leave. As soon as they do, I'll interview him. I'll call back as soon as I see them leave. Right. Bye." He ended the call and prepared himself for an unknown length of time for surveillance.

* * *

Doctor Hochstein walked into Aaron's room with his nurse after getting past the two FBI agents posted outside the agent's door. With the condition his patient had been in when he arrived in the hospital, and learning his attacker was still on the loose, he was glad for the extra protection. He had to admit the guards were at first a bit intimidating, but after awhile he was grateful the FBI was looking out for their agent. At least the guards weren't interfering with anything and were actually a welcome sight just in case.

After checking Aaron's vitals, Hochstein needed to see how his patient was managing being weaned off the respirator. He was pleased to see Aaron doing well despite the pressure having been reduced. He hoped, should his progress continue, to remove the ventilator completely in the morning, and move Aaron into a private room afterward.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

Both IA agents looked exasperated after questioning Morgan for over an hour. Despite their best efforts, they didn't get any new or useful information from him. That's until Mason explained he had spoken with Fran Morgan. That's when Morgan's eyes narrowed dangerously as he shot to his feet.

" _You had no right to upset my mother! She didn't need to know any of this!"_ he boomed, clearly incensed.

"Au contraire," Mason taunted sensing the profiler's anger, figuring he may have gotten under Morgan's skin at last. "Your mother was extremely helpful once she knew of what her 'Baby Boy' was accused. She told us how your father died in your arms after being shot while on duty." (1)

"So?" asked Morgan struggling to rein in his emotions. "I was ten-years-old at the time. What are you getting at with this information?"

"Oh nothing," Flaxen replied calmly. "We wondered if that was when you decided to never let anybody hurt you again."

"So what are you tryin' to say? What does my dad's death have to do with what happened to Hotch?"

Flaxen scowled and his eyes hardened. "Only this. You became angry over some punk killing your father, and decided that nobody will ever hurt you again by taking something from you. So when Hotchner refused to support you for two Unit Chief jobs, you intended to make him pay for that. In other words, _agent,_ you wanted to get back at him. Just like you didn't get back at the punk who murdered your dad." He smirked at the grinding of the man's jaw.

"Damn you…" Morgan growled. He strode toward his front door, yanked it open wide, and held it open. "If you had any proof you'd arrest me. Obviously you don't, so I suggest you both get the hell out, now!"

"We're leaving," Mason said as he and his partner got to their feet. "But we will talk again."

Morgan's eyes followed both men as they exited through the door. He slammed the door shut behind them. He fell backward against the closed door, ran a hand over his bald head, and blew out a deep breath. With a glance at the time, he saw it had been five minutes since the agents left his home and going on six-thirty-five p.m.

He straightened and walked back toward the living room wanting to relax when the doorbell rang a second time. With a groan, he turned and headed back toward the door, preparing to let Flaxen and Mason have it.

"I told you to leave me the hell…" he hissed yanking open the door and paused mid-sentence. It was Rossi who stood on the top step. The man held up both hands, palms facing forward in mock surrender.

"I hope you were expecting someone else, and that greeting wasn't for me," the older man said taking a step backward.

Morgan rubbed the back of his neck looking apologetic. "Sorry, man. I did think you might be somebody else. C'mon in and have a seat."

"I thought as much. I saw them when they left." Rossi stepped inside the room and watched Morgan close the door behind him. "From your greeting I believe it's safe to say they rubbed you the wrong way."

"That's putting it mildly. You want a drink? I got beer, soda and bottled water."

"No thanks. So tell me what happened." The older man sat down on the far end of the sofa.

Morgan sat beside him with a space between them. He then repeated what had taken place between him and the IA agents. When he was done, Rossi could see the black agent was still tense from the interrogation.

"Sorry to hear that, but it doesn't surprise me. Derek, we both know IA will rip through every facet of a person's life to find what they need. I'm sorry they upset your mom. That wasn't right or fair. But if I might offer a suggestion, after I leave here, you should call your mom and let her know what's going on even though you can't tell her the truth."

Morgan cast his eye downward as he rubbed his palms together in frustration. He looked at the other man. "Rossi, I've never lied to my mom before and I hate to start now. She's gonna worry herself sick over this as it is thanks to Mason."

Rossi sat with his hands clasped between his knees and a look of compassion. "I understand. Trust me I do. But it has to be this way for now and you know this. That's why the sooner we catch this bastard the sooner we can tell everyone the truth."

"I know you're right. I just hate it is all."

Rossi patted the man's shoulder and smiled. "I know you do. So do I. We just need to try and hang in there a bit longer."

Morgan blew out a deep breath. "Okay. Let's get on with this."

Rossi turned his body slightly so he faced his teammate. "You know how it works. Take a deep breath to relax yourself, clear your mind, and close your eyes."

Morgan, having done many cognitive interviews himself, knew the routine. And after letting out a deep breath to calm himself, he closed his eyes.

Rossi sensed the black man was ready. "Okay. Just listen to my voice. It's after work. You're in your car and you're driving to Hotch's. Tell me what you're thinking? What are you feeling?"

 _ **(Cognitive Interview):**_

" _I'm thinking so far Hotch's plan is working. We got him to fit the UnSub's victimology by using a situation and staging an argument in the office. Now I'm driving to his house because I'm supposed to stay overnight in his guestroom, then escort him to work the following day. But I'm also worried."_

Rossi's ears perked up hearing this. "What's worrying you?"

" _I'm worried and have been since Hotch told me he believes our UnSub is somebody on the inside. I also have a terrible headache, but I still need to see this plan through. So to take my mind off my migraine, I try to go over in my mind what I'll do if something were to happen during the night or in the early morning. I finally pull up outside his house. As I get out of my car, I get a strange feeling…like someone is watching me."_

"Who is watching you? Do you see anybody?"

" _No. And because of my headache I feel it might be my imagination playing tricks. But it still concerns me for some strange reason I can't quite figure out."_

"You're now inside Hotch's house. Tell me what's happening."

" _I see Hotch and Jack in the living room. Jack's in his pajamas. Hotch is in the clothes he wore to work. He looks worried when he sees my face. I can tell he's concerned about me."_

"Does anybody say anything to you?"

" _Not at first. Jack looks at me and asks me why do I look mad? I want to tell him I'm not angry, but before I can, Hotch tells Jack to go upstairs and wait for him."_

"Does Jack leave the room after his dad tells him to go upstairs?"

" _Yes. He gives his dad a hug and goes to his room. I can hear the door close upstairs."_

"What happens once you and Hotch are alone? Does he say anything to you?"

" _He says he can tell I don't feel well, and to go home and take care of myself."_

"How does that make you feel?"

" _Angry. I'm supposed to stay in his home tonight. I tell him that we need to stick with the plan. But he refuses and again tells me to go home. Says he will call you and have you come over and stay with him instead."_

"Do you tell Hotch about the feeling you had that you were being watched when you arrived?"

" _Yes. I also told him I wasn't sure if what I felt was real."_

"How did he react to what you told him?"

" _He told me not to worry about it. Said since you knew about the plan, he would phone you and have you take my place for the night."_

"What happened then?"

" _I tried to change his mind. Said I was okay. But he refused. I told him he had no right to change the plan and it could be dangerous especially if what I suspected was true. But he told me again he needed me to take care of myself. He promises again to have you come over and take my place, stay overnight, and escort him to work in the morning. So I left and went home."_

"Did you see anybody outside when you left? Any vehicles that weren't there when you first arrived?"

" _Nobody. I sat outside in my car wanting to keep watch. But my head hurt so much I finally drove home."_

"Did you go directly home?"

" _Yes."_

"Are you sure?"

" _Yes."_

"Once you got home, did you leave your house again later?"

" _No. Once I got home, I took some medicine and lay down. I stayed there all night until I heard about Hotch the next morning."_

"Are you _positive_ you didn't go out again?"

" _Yes. The medicine I took knocks me out and makes me sleep."_

 _ **(End of Cognitive Interview)**_

Morgan opened his eyes and looked at Rossi who let out a deep breath.

"Did I say anything that might help?" he asked studying the older man's pensive face.

* * *

"He wants you to do _what?"_ Emily asked as she and Reid stared at JJ's emotional face.

The blonde, after hanging up from her phone call with Flaxen, hurried to the bullpen to tell Reid and Prentiss. They were as appalled as she was at the agent's demand. Also, none of them had any idea how Jack would react having to relive that night. They feared the child might shut down entirely.

"What are you going to do?" asked Reid.

JJ shrugged. "I don't have a choice. I'll have to ask Jessica to bring Jack here in the afternoon." She sat on the end of Emily's desk and sighed. "I really wish Rossi was here right now so I could talk with him."

"Can you try calling him?" asked Reid.

"He's doing a cognitive interview with Morgan or did you forget?" asked Prentiss eying the young genius.

"I forgot," Reid admitted, embarrassed. "Sorry."

"It's okay," Prentiss said with a small smile at her teammate. Her eyes shifted to the blonde. "What are you going to do now?" she repeated the question Reid had asked earlier.

JJ shrugged. "Guess I'll go call Jessica and tell her. Em, I'm going to need a favor from you tomorrow."

"What do you need?" asked the brunette.

"I have an idea which might help get Jack through this interview, but I'm going to need your assistance."

"Whatever you need you got it."

"What about me?" asked Reid. "What can I do?"

"Not this time, Spence. Sorry. This time I need Emily. Thanks anyway," JJ replied. She turned away and headed back to her own office.

* * *

"It seems Aaron was aware he was being watched at work and at home."

"I wonder why he didn't call you while I was still here. I would've stayed until you arrived and then left. That way he wouldn't have been alone and vulnerable."

Rossi shrugged his shoulders. "That's something only Aaron knows the answer to. But if I venture to guess, he might have been more concerned with you risking your health by refusing to take care of yourself and intent on taking care of him instead. You know how he is. We knew he told you he already felt he was being watched at work. But it also sounds to me that he suspected he was being watched at home as well, especially when he told you not to worry about it after you told him."

Morgan looked thoughtful for a few seconds. "It makes sense when you think about it. From what we know, Hotch was attacked in the wee hours of the following morning, and you said you never received a phone call from him the night before. That means he was attacked between the time I left, and you were called to his home by Jack in the morning. So he must not have gotten a chance to call you." Morgan's head fell into his hands. _"Damn! Damn, damn, damn!"_

"What is it?" asked the senior profiler, gripping the black man's shoulder tightly.

"I failed him." Morgan raised his head and stared at Rossi, tears staining his cheeks. "I failed him, Rossi. Hotch depended on me to keep him safe from this UnSub and I let him down and he got hurt. Worse than hurt. He could still die from his injuries."

"I want you to listen to me and listen good. In no way did you let Aaron down. You were willing to stay and do your job despite feeling bad, and he saw it the minute you entered his house. But Hotch always puts his team's welfare before his own, and sent you home to look after yourself. He was willing to put your health before his own safety. If it's anybody's fault, it's the UnSub's. He attacked sooner than you and he realized. With the others, he attacked when they were preparing to head to work. With Aaron, he attacked within hours of your argument with each other. You did nothing wrong, my friend."

Morgan wiped his cheeks. "I understand what you're saying. But if Hotch dies, knowing I did nothing wrong won't make me feel better."

"Then maybe this will."

Rossi proceeded to tell the younger agent the news he got from the hospital about Hotch being removed from the ventilator the following day."

The corners of Morgan's mouth began to turn upward as he took in the older man's words and realized he was right. Those words did make him feel better.

* * *

(1) 'Au Contraire' is French and means 'On the contrary.'


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

When Doctor Hochstein checked on his patient the following morning, he found the man had improved to the point where he ordered the ventilator and intubation be removed. With his penlight he again checked Aaron's eyes, hoping this time he might get a response after three days. But sadly, both pupils remained unresponsive. Finally, he ordered a CAT scan to check the man's most serious injury…his head.

"How is he, doctor?" the nurse asked as they left Hotch's room.

"He's holding his own so far. I just hope the CAT scans will show improvement as well. Please contact me when the results are ready."

"Yes, doctor."

* * *

When the entire team arrived at the hospital, they went directly to the ICU.

Knowing they could only visit two at a time, Rossi and Prentiss decided to go first while the others waited in the hallway outside his room. But the minute Rossi opened the door preparing to walk in, he froze as did Prentiss who peered over his shoulder. Hotch's bed was empty.

Where was Hotch? Had he succumbed unexpectedly to his injuries during the night? Or had something unexpected happened causing a setback in his recovery?

Rossi and Prentiss looked over their shoulders at the others who, seeing their faces, sensed something was terribly wrong.

"What's happened?" asked Morgan, scared. "Is Hotch okay?"

"He's not in his room," Emily explained.

The moment he saw a nurse approaching, Rossi intercepted her.

"Excuse me," he said trying not to panic. "But can you tell us where Agent Hotchner is? His room's empty."

"I believe he's been taken to X-ray."

"Oh My God!" cried JJ. "What happened to him? Did something go wrong?" She felt her heart drop into her stomach.

" _X-ray?!"_ said Morgan raising his voice. _"Why the hell was he taken to x-ray? What happened?"_

Rossi swallowed the growing lump in his throat wondering what had happened to his friend now, and how much more his injured body could tolerate. But one look at Morgan by Rossi told the man to calm down. Garcia took Morgan's hand in hers trying to calm the man.

It took a minute for the nurse to realize that the group in front of her misinterpreted her words. She smiled.

"I apologize for making you think the worst. Doctor Hochstein ordered a new CAT scan of Mr. Hotchner's head to see how he's healing," she further explained in a calm voice.

"So he's all right?" asked Prentiss nervously.

"As far as I know. Once the doctor sees the results, he will come and talk with you. Until then, you can all wait in the visitor's lounge. I'll be sure to tell him you're here."

"Thank you," Rossi said with a smile for the nurse. While he ran a hand over his hair, he looked at his teammates, and suggested they all take a seat and wait.

* * *

It was during lunch when Hochstein's pager went off. Quickly downing the remainder of his black coffee, he hurried to the nurses' station. A nurse behind the counter handed him a large manila envelope. Impatiently, he ripped open the envelope and carefully reviewed the films. A slow smile appeared on his face. The films showed the swelling under the fracture had gone down slightly, but would have to go down further before he could say his patient was out of the woods.

Having been informed that his patient's team had arrived and were waiting in the visitor's area, he headed there to greet them. The minute he walked into the room, he was immediately surrounded by the agents all looking concerned.

"How is he?" asked Morgan anxiously.

Hochstein eyed the six anxious faces in front of him before he continued. "Mr. Hotchner is fine," he said with a smile.

"Did the CAT scan show any marked improvement?" asked Reid sticking both his hands in the pockets of his trousers to hide his nervousness.

Hochstein studied the young agent. "Yes. The swelling has gone down a bit, but needs to go down completely before we can tell if he suffered any brain damage. It's just too early to tell."

There were gasps from JJ, Emily, and Garcia while Rossi, Morgan, and Reid were stunned. Just the thought of Hotch possibly suffering brain damage because of the beating was more than any of them could accept. But they promised they would be there for their fallen leader should the worst happen.

"How soon will you know?" interjected Morgan, glaring at the doctor. "C'mon, man. You're supposed to be the expert here. What does your experience and your gut tell you?"

"Honestly, Agent Morgan, there's simply no way to tell right now."

"But he's getting better?" asked Rossi, ignoring Morgan and struggling with this latest news.

"He is."

There was a small intake of breath from Garcia. "Can we see him?"

"Of course," Hochstein said sympathetically. "But remember only two of you at a time can visit. Now if you'll excuse me, I have other patients I need to check on."

Rossi smiled. "Of course. Thank you doctor."

Once the doctor was out of hearing range, the older man turned his attention on the black agent.

"Morgan, I know you're upset; we all are. But losing your temper with the doctor isn't helping matters any. You need to calm down and be positive right now. Aaron needs only positive vibes around him. So if you can't do that, then I suggest you go home and stay away while we visit. What's it gonna be?"

Morgan let out a deep breath. He knew Rossi was right. He needed to maintain control of his emotions. "I'll be okay, I promise. I want to be here. And I want Hotch to know I'm here."

Rossi nodded as a smile crossed his face. "Then let's go."

They soon found themselves approaching Hotch's room taking note of the two FBI Agents posted outside their Unit Chief's door as extra security. Rossi and Garcia produced their credentials. Once their credentials had been acknowledged, the duo was allowed to proceed. It had been decided that he and Garcia would visit first, while the others sat on a bench against the wall outside the room. The older man gripped the door handle and they paused just inside the doorway and stared at the man in the bed.

Aaron's physical appearance had improved to a degree. His complexion was still extremely pale which made the bruises on his face and upper torso more pronounced. He still wore casts on both arms, and a bandage across his nose. He was covered by a white sheet up to his waist and still had a bandage wrapped around his head.

Slowly, Rossi led the way further into the room. He moved a chair close beside his friend's bed and sat down on it. He reached out a hand and rested it on his friend's uninjured shoulder. Garcia had grabbed the one remaining chair and pulled it close to the bed on the opposite side. She put a hand on the hand with an IV needle in its back. To her his hand felt so cold. Her eyes were glued to her boss's face her eyes glistening with unshed tears.

"Oh, sir. Please open your eyes. We need to see you open your eyes. Please."

Rossi felt tears prick his eyes as he stared at Hotch's battered face. If it wasn't for the bruising, he would have thought the man was asleep.

"I don't know if you can hear me, Aaron, but Garcia and I are here. JJ, Emily, Morgan and Reid are outside. Jack and Jessica send their love and will visit later." He paused and swallowed the lump in his throat as he felt wetness on his cheeks. But he struggled to continue. "You're my best friend, and one of the best men I know. I would give my life right now just to hear you tell me to shut up. You need to get well and come back to us. So wake up and get your lazy ass outta this bed."

* * *

It was early afternoon when the team sans Morgan, returned to the BAU. The drive back was somber as each was lost in his or her thoughts. Although they knew Hotch was getting better, seeing him so pale and unresponsive was still troubling. They didn't know what any of them would do if he never woke up at all.

But despite the seriousness of their boss's condition, they understood they still had work to do. So any thoughts of Hotch were shoved into the back of their minds as they set to work on trying to help Morgan.

Rossi checked his watch and noticed it was now one p.m. Reid, JJ and Emily were gathered in his office with the door closed. He had just finished explaining what had been learned from the cognitive interview with Morgan.

"You're telling us they called his mother?" Reid asked with wide eyes. He could only envision what the older woman he had met once was going through after being told this information. She would be frantic with worry.

"That they did," Rossi said from behind his desk. "Frankly, I think they purposely told Morgan this just to get under his skin. Bastards." He went on to explain what the IA agents had said.

"We have to clear him and soon," said Prentiss. "We can't allow this to continue."

"We will and we won't."

"So Morgan remembered feeling like he was being watched when he arrived at Hotch's the other night?" asked Reid. "And that Hotch was going to call you and have you come over?"

Rossi nodded. "That tells me whoever it was not only stalked Aaron, but saw Morgan arrive, and then saw him leave. I never received a call from Aaron, so my guess is that our UnSub attacked between the time Derek left but before Aaron could call me."

"Any idea why Hotch was going to have you come over?" asked Prentiss.

Rossi shrugged noncommittally. "No idea," he lied smoothly. "Best guess is Aaron probably needed somebody to talk to about the situation with Morgan and how best to handle it." He studied each member hoping they bought his explanation. They were well aware of the father-son relationship the two men had. And if Hotch needed anybody to talk to after work, it would be him, so the explanation was easy to believe.

"So what do we know so far…" he said looking at the others, waiting.

"We know the UnSub stalked his victims and learned their routines before he struck," Prentiss began.

"He's somebody who wouldn't raise alarms when he shows up at our victims' homes. Maybe a co-worker. He also tases his victims before he attacks in order to gain control over them," added Reid.

"He's confident and patient, and doesn't care if his victims are married or single," chimed in JJ.

"He uses mostly items available in the victims' houses in his attack but he does bring items with him as well," said Reid.

"And there were no signs of breaking and entering which proves that he was let into the homes by the victims," added Prentiss.

"And finally," concluded Rossi. "He did not call the police after the three murders, but he did after he attacked Aaron. He wanted Aaron found alive. We need to find out why and what part Morgan plays in this." He then checked the time. It was going on ten minutes past one. He looked at JJ. "You and Prentiss got everything ready for when Jack and Jessica arrive?" The blonde had told him about Flaxen's orders to have Jack come in for an interview.

JJ crossed her arms and studied the older man. "I still don't like this. I really don't. We have no idea what this will do to Jack even with Emily helping me make it easier on him."

"I know you don't. I don't like it either. But the alternative is far worse." He saw both women stare at him. "Strauss could have Jack questioned by IA without you or Emily there, and that could be disastrous for him."

Both women glanced at each other, agreeing. Then JJ addressed the brunette.

"We better check one last time and make sure we have everything we need before Jack and his aunt get here."

"Right," Emily concurred as the two women got to their feet and left the conference room leaving Reid and Rossi alone. The older man studied the young genius.

"Did Garcia find anything in the backgrounds of our three murder victims yet?" he asked needing to distract himself.

* * *

The moment they arrived at the conference room to be used, Emily and JJ rechecked to make sure nothing had been overlooked. Neither woman was looking forward to this, but both knew they had no say in the matter. To refuse would cause more problems than the team could afford right now.

Seeing they still had about forty minutes before the interview took place, JJ wished it was over and done with, mainly for Jack's sake. She knew how she would feel if her son, Henry, had been put in this position. And she could only imagine if Hotch was here how he would feel having his son subjected to this.

Emily looked at the blonde and could tell from the expression on her face that she was thinking now as a mother instead of an agent about to conduct an interview.

"What if Mason and Flaxen don't agree to let me take part in Jack's interview?" she asked.

"I'll stick to my guns and call the whole thing off," said the blonde. "Besides, if they want to talk to Jack that badly, they'll have to agree with me or else."

"Aren't you afraid they could cause trouble for you with Strauss?"

"I wouldn't worry about it, Em. Strauss is a mother as well. I'll just remind her how she would feel if it was one of her own children being questioned instead."

"If you say so," Prentiss answered as the corners of her mouth curled upward. But she kept any other concerns to herself.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

"Speak of the devil," remarked Rossi as his phone vibrated. He reached into his inner jacket pocket, pulled out his cell, and checked the Caller ID. As a smile crossed his lips, he pressed a button putting the phone on speaker and holding it in his hand between the two men.

"You've got me and Reid, Garcia. I hope you got something good for us?"

"Awwwww…" said the voice which sounded somewhat tame from its usual cheerfulness. "Someone needs lil 'ol me."

The older man smiled. "Always Garcia. Don't ever doubt that. Now, what did you find?"

"Okay. I completed my search and nothing stood out. I then went over the work histories of our three dearly departed dead guys, and I found something interesting."

"And what might that be?"

"Thanks to my keen powers of technical observation, I discovered the three men had write-ups from their superiors involving incidents with subordinates in their folders."

Both men stared at each other in surprise at this new information.

"What incidents?" asked Reid.

"Well, a Sondra Willis filed a suit against her boss, Walter Hennessy, for harassing her over a three month period. She was one of his subordinates and was forced to ask for a transfer to another department. Hennessy had been written up by his superiors and ordered to undergo counseling to avoid losing his job."

"Curious," Rossi remarked. "And the other two?"

"I'm just coming to them. Bryce DeGault had a Defamation suit filed against him by one Lanie Desmond after she was refused a position for which she was highly qualified. And Gill Macklin was a real slime ball. He was accused by a Beth Gilliam for harassment due to repeated inappropriate comments he made in her presence. She filed a complaint with his superior, then was fired which she believed was in retaliation for filing the suit in the beginning. In response she filed a Wrongful Termination suit."

"Has the Wrongful Termination suit been decided yet?" asked Reid.

"No. It was dismissed after Macklin's death."

"So our three deceased guys had interactions with subordinates that resulted in suits being filed against them."

"But, sir, how does our fearless leader fit into this? Hotch never had any suits filed against him by anybody," chimed in Garcia.

"That may be true, Garcia," explained the young genius. "But he didn't back Morgan for two Unit Chief positions. So in a manner of speaking, he did do something against a subordinate when he refused to back Morgan for both jobs." Suddenly his face brightened. "That's it!" he said excitedly. "That's how Hotch fit the victimology!"

"What are you getting at, oh genius of mine?" asked Penelope.

"Hotch and Morgan had an argument concerning the New York job. And being on the inside, the UnSub found out they argued. To him, he decided Hotch was no different than the three men he killed, so he went after him to punish him."

"I think you're onto something, kid," agreed Rossi.

"I don't understand," said Garcia.

"He's what we would call a Spree killer. But our UnSub is a different kind of Spree killer," said Reid. "Normally a Spree killer targets specific victims; the boss who fired him, a professor who flunked him, or a bully who made his high school years a living hell. But in this case, he's targeting bosses who makes others' lives a living hell."

"That's what makes him different from the average spree killer," added Rossi.

"But…but we know my Chocolate Mocha Delight didn't do this."

"We know he didn't, Kitten. But our guy went to a lot of trouble to make it appear he did."

There was a pause before Garcia spoke again. "Sir, are we going to be able to find out who hurt Hotch and clear Derek?"

Rossi arched his eyebrows. "Don't tell me you have doubts about us? I mean I know it doesn't look good for Morgan right now…"

"It's worse than that," Reid interrupted as he stared at the older man.

"What are you getting at, kid?"

"Just what I said."

"How can it be worse?"

"It's worse because Morgan was dating Sondra Willis when she had her problems with Hennessy, is currently dating Lanie Desmond, and has been since before her troubles with DeGault."

"Are you sure about this?" asked Rossi.

"He told me about Sondra and Lanie."

"What about Beth?"

"I saw him in the cafeteria having coffee with her a couple of weeks ago," said Reid grimly. "I asked him about her and he told me she was a good friend who was going through a rough time at work."

"What rough time?" asked Penelope as if afraid to hear the answer.

Reid paused several seconds. "He told me she was being harassed by her boss, Gill Macklin, and was thinking of filing a suit against him."

There was a notable gasp from Garcia, and Rossi stared at Reid, incredulous. This made things look even worse for their teammate then they thought. It showed not only a definite connection to all three women, a motive for killing all three men, and for attempting to murder Hotch.

"Keep checking, Garcia," Rossi said.

"You know I will, Oh Acting Unit Chief of mine," was the reply before the tech analyst ended the call.

As Rossi tucked his cell back in his pocket, a movement caught his eye. He got to his feet looking in the direction of the double doors leading into the BAU and caused Reid to look in the same direction. They both spotted Jessica Brooks, holding Jack by one hand, push open one of the Plexiglas doors and walk into the BAU.

The two men smiled when they confronted Jessica who greeted them with a weak smile of her own.

"Dave, Spencer. Where are Emily and JJ?" she said not seeing the two women.

"Jessica," Rossi greeted her while Reid gave a nod and remained quiet. "They're waiting in the conference room along with Agents Mason and Flaxen from Internal Affairs." He bent over putting his hands on his knees. He smiled at the child who refused to look at him and clung to his aunt.

"How are you, champino?"

When the child finally did raise his head to look up at him, the older man could see the fear in his eyes.

"Uncle Dave, I'm scared. Do I have to do this?" Jack asked timidly.

Rossi paused a moment. "I understand how you feel, kiddo. I know you don't want to do this. But we're gonna need your help if we're gonna find out what happened to your dad."

"But you know who did it. It was Uncle Derek. He hurt daddy."

"I understand that, Jack. But see, we need to know what you saw and heard if we're gonna prove that. Do you think you can help us?"

"Will it help daddy?"

"It sure will. It'll go a long way toward making sure the guilty party is caught. So will you help us?"

"Okay, I'll do it for daddy." Jack chewed his lower lip as he mulled over something. "Uncle Dave, will you be there?"

"No, buddy. But Aunts JJ and Emily will be there. You trust them, right?"

Jack nodded his head enthusiastically. "They're real cool. And Aunt JJ gives Henry and me cookies."

Rossi chuckled, tousled the boy's hair, and stood erect. He looked at Jessica.

"I'll take him to the conference room while you wait here with Reid. JJ and Emily will be conducting the interview themselves so don't worry. It shouldn't take too long. Then you can take him home."

Biting her lower lip, Jessica ran a hand over her nephew's head as the two looked at each other. She smiled at her nephew lovingly.

"Just tell them what you saw and heard, Jack," she said with tears in her eyes. "It'll be okay. Just be honest."

"I will, Aunt Jess." Jack then faced Rossi. "I'm ready, Uncle Dave."

"Good boy," said Rossi as he took Jack's hand and led the boy in the direction of the designated conference room.

* * *

JJ stood outside the conference room with arms crossed, with Emily beside her. Both women stared at Mason and Flaxen. The IA agents didn't like the idea of the brunette taking part in the interrogation, and they quickly let the blonde know about their displeasure.

"Those are my terms, gentlemen," said JJ, blue eyes flashing dangerously. "You asked for my help in interviewing Jack Hotchner, and I agreed with the understanding that I might need a little help. Emily is also trained in interviewing children. So we either do this my way, or you can forget your interview. I won't budge on this."

Flaxen opened his mouth to protest he felt his partner's hand on his arm. He stared at the black man.

"The main thing is we get our interview with Hotchner's son, Simon," Mason advised calmly noticing the blonde man was about to lose it. "If Agent Jareau wants Agent Prentiss to assist her, arguing about it is not worth losing the interview. So cool it, man."

Flaxen took in and blew out a deep breath and nodded his head. He ran a hand over his blonde hair. "You're right. The interview is what matters. Hopefully it'll give us what we need in order to get the search warrant." He noticed Mason smile at him.

Just then, the quartet turned as footsteps drew near. They saw Rossi and Jack come around the corner. At the sight of the two male agents, Jack froze and clutched the older man's hand tighter. He didn't know them, and was frightened by them.

Seeing this, Emily bent over with hands on her knees hoping to distract the boy. "Hey, Jack…" she said with a big smile. "How are you? I haven't seen you in a few days." Jack released Rossi's hand and threw himself at Emily, wrapping his short arms around her waist. He pressed his chin against her stomach and looked up into her dark eyes.

"Hi, Aunt Emily. Uncle Dave said you and Aunt JJ are gonna ask me some questions?"

"That's right, sweetie," interjected JJ leaning over with hands on her knees as well.

Flaxen, anxious to get started, crouched down to Jack's level. He smiled at the boy, but to the women it looked forced. Ignoring them, he saw Jack glance at him, release Emily, and duck behind her legs. He peeked out from behind her.

"You must be Jack Hotchner," Flaxen said.

Jack shrank back further behind Emily trying to conceal himself.

"My name is Simon Flaxen, and this is my partner, Derrick Mason. We're trying to find the person who hurt your dad."

Emily heard Jack whimper, so she crouched down and scooped the child up into her arms. He wrapped his arms around her neck and hid his face in her shoulder.

"You're scaring him," Emily said. She glared at Flaxen who stood up, studying her coolly. "Let's just get this over with," she declared.

Not waiting for a reply, she turned sharply and walked into the conference room with JJ behind her. The blonde woman closed the door leaving the two male agents outside the room.

As they prepared to watch through the one-way mirror, Mason flipped a switch activating the audio.

* * *

Jack sat at the table with JJ and Emily seated on opposite sides of him. The child had an elbow on the table with a fist supporting his tilted head. He stared at a spot on the table, with a finger of his opposite hand drawing lazy circles on the table. There was a frown on his young face.

The blonde glanced back and saw the video recorder's red light was on. Knowing what was expected of her and Emily, she chose her words carefully.

"Jack, we really could use your help with something," she began gently.

"With what?"

"Well, we're first going to need you to close your eyes, and take a deep breath. Can you do that for us?"

"I guess so." Jack straightened up in his chair with his hands in his lap. He let out a deep breath and closed his eyes as he was told. "Now what?" he asked.

"I want you to listen to the sound of our voices. We want you to go back a few days. You're in your home with your dad who's come home from work. You just finished taking your bath, and putting on your pajamas. You've gone back downstairs. What happened when you got downstairs?"

 _ **(Cognitive Interview):**_

" _I saw dad. He was sitting on the sofa. I told him I was ready for bed, and asked if he could he read me a story."_ Jack smiled. _"Dad tells great stories."_

"What happened then?" asked Emily.

" _We started upstairs when the doorbell rang. Dad told me to wait while he saw who was at the door. So I waited at the bottom of the stairs."_

"Who was at the door?" asked JJ.

" _It was Uncle Derek. He looked real mad when he came inside."_

"Are you sure it was Uncle Derek?" asked JJ.

" _It was him all right. I know Uncle Derek by sight. He's been to the house before."_

"How did you know he was mad?" asked Prentiss.

Jack shrugged. _"I don't know, he just did. I asked him why was he mad, but dad told me to go upstairs, go to my room, and stay there. Said he'd be up later and read me a story."_

"Did you go to your room?"

" _Yeah. I always do what dad tells me."_

Emily licked her suddenly dry lips. "How did that make you feel, being sent to your room when Uncle Derek arrived?"

" _Worried."_

"Why did you feel worried?"

"' _Cause Uncle Derek looked so mad. I never saw him mad before."_

"Let's go back a bit," interjected Emily. "You said Uncle Derek looked mad. What was he mad about?"

" _I don't know. I was in my room and couldn't hear._ _But after awhile I cracked open my door. That's when I heard loud voices."_

JJ and Emily exchanged looks.

"Loud voices?" asked JJ. "Loud like in shouting?"

" _Yeah."_

"Who was shouting?"

" _Uncle Derek was shouting at dad. He kept saying dad had no right, and dad kept telling him to calm down. But he kept shouting at dad."_

JJ chewed her lower lip. "How did you feel when you heard shouting coming from downstairs?"

" _Afraid."_

"Afraid why?"

" _I don't know."_

"Okay. When you heard the shouting, what did you do?"

" _I closed my door and hid in my closet until it got quiet."_

"What happened when it got quiet?"

" _I waited for dad to come upstairs, but he never did. So I left my room and came downstairs to find him. That's when I…when I saw…"_ The boy started to shake.

"Jack, what's making you so uncomfortable?"

 _ **(Interruption of Cognitive Interview):**_

Jack's eyes shot open in a panic. He grabbed onto JJ and buried his face in her chest as she held him close. The blonde kissed the top of his head before she looked at the brunette, her blue eyes bright with unshed tears. She felt for the child.

"It's okay, Jack. Shhh. Nobody's going to hurt you." She stroked his hair gently.

Emily got to her feet. "Why don't we take a short break," she said. She went to the video camera and turned it off. Then she left the conference room, and after closing the door, glared at Mason and Flaxen.

"Why'd you and Agent Jareau stop the interview?" asked Flaxen, annoyed.

"Why'd we'd stop…?" Prentiss began aghast. _"You ass!_ We stopped it because Jack is traumatized recalling his father's assault, that's why." She couldn't believe this man and his callousness.

Flaxen was about to reply when Mason touched his shoulder. The blonde man looked at him.

" _What?!"_ he hissed.

"C'mon, man, lighten up. Give the kid a few minutes to gather himself. I'm sure after he calms down he'll begin again. We're on the edge of getting what we need from him so let's not screw it up now. Okay?"

Reluctantly, Flaxen took a deep breath and ran a hand over his hair. He looked at Prentiss. "We'll wait five minutes and start again."

Glaring at Flaxen, Prentiss chewed her lower lip. "Thank you." She then turned and walked back inside the conference room. She found Jack now drawing on a blank sheet of paper with the crayons that had been brought in earlier with JJ watching him. She spotted the blonde's concern at what he was drawing, so she approached and stood looking over his shoulder at the picture. Her eyes narrowed in concern.

"What are you drawing?" she asked.

"A picture," Jack replied not looking up at her.

"Can you tell us what the picture is about, sweetie?" asked Emily.

"It's a picture of Uncle Derek and daddy."

"What is Derek doing, Jack?"

"He's hitting daddy."

JJ and Emily stared at each other extremely concerned, while Flaxen watched from the opposite side of the mirror with a smile on his face.

 _ **(Resuming Cognitive Interview):**_

"Jack, you were about to tell us what you saw when you went downstairs," said Prentiss. "Remember, you are not alone. JJ and I are here with you. Can you tell us what you see in the living room?"

Jack sniffled. _"I…I saw dad. He's on the floor. He's bleeding. Dad! Wake up! Please, dad! Don't leave me!"_ He began to cry, tears running down his cheeks. _"Dad!"_

"Where is Uncle Derek?" asked JJ gripping his shoulder. "Do you see him?"

Jack shook his head. _"He's gone. But the door is open and the lights are on."_ He tilted his head to one side.

"Is there something else?" asked Prentiss.

" _I hear a car driving away from the house. It's loud, like somebody's leaving in a hurry."_

"Who's driving the car? Can you see who it is?"

" _No. I can't leave dad. I'm all alone and dad's hurt. I gotta help him!"_

"What do you do to help your dad?"

" _I called Uncle Dave. He'll help me and know what to do."_

"Did Uncle Dave help you?" asked Prentiss.

" _Yeah. He got an ambulance and the police to come to the house. He helped save dad."_ Then a smile crossed Jack's face. _"Then Aunt JJ came. She helped too."_

JJ smiled at the memory. "How did I help, Jack?" she asked gently.

Jack smiled. _"You stayed with me so I wouldn't be alone."_

"Do you remember anything else, Jack?" asked Prentiss.

Jack shook his head. _"No."_

 _ **(End of Cognitive Interview)**_

"You can open your eyes now, Jack," said Prentiss while JJ got up and turned off the video recorder. She returned to her chair while Jack studied the brunette's face.

"Did I do good?" he asked.

Prentiss smiled. "You did great," she said with a smile. Jack then looked at JJ and saw her smile as well.

"Your dad would be so proud of you," she said.

You think so?" the boy asked hesitantly.

"We know so," she said.

"Can you lock up Uncle Derek now?"

JJ and Emily studied each other before the blonde turned her attention to the child. She knew she had to chose her words carefully.

"Thanks to you we will be able to lock up the guilty person for a long time."

Hearing those words brought a smile to Jack Hotchner's young face. He then looked at the picture he had drawn earlier and shoved it aside. He took another blank sheet of paper. "Aunt JJ, can you help me make a get well card for daddy? I can't visit 'im yet, but Aunt Jess is gonna visit, and I want her to bring daddy my card so he'll know how much I love and miss him, and want him to get better."

"I'd love to help you, sweetie," said JJ. "But right now I have to go and talk to the two agents outside." She noticed Jack's sad face. "Tell you what, Aunt Emily will help you instead. Once you finish your card, she will take you back to your aunt and the two of you can go home."

"Okay, Aunt JJ." Jack smiled at her as he grabbed a crayon.

* * *

JJ stepped into the corridor and shut the door to the conference room. She crossed her arms and glared at the two IA agents.

"Are we done?" she hissed.

"Very good, Agent Jareau," said Mason. "You and Agent Prentiss did an excellent job getting the information we needed. Thanks to Agent Hotchner's son, we now have more proof Agent Morgan tried to kill Hotchner."

JJ noticed Flaxen smiling at her and it sickened her. There was an evilness to the man.

"Is there anything else that you want?" she asked hoping she was done with the agent.

"Yes. In addition to the videotape, we'd like to have the picture Jack drew of Agent Morgan attacking his dad if you don't mind."


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: For those who had a problem with Emily & JJ questioning Jack alone without Jessica present, I based it on the episode SEVEN SECONDS, Season 3, in which Reid questioned 13-year-old Jeremy alone with no adult present. **

**Chapter 15**

JJ ground her lower jaw before turning and reentering the conference room. She spied Jack seeming hard at work making his get-well card with Emily's help. The brunette's chocolate eyes met her blue ones for a second, and spotted the frustration in them. The blonde approached the table, picked up the discarded sketch, and again left the room closing the door behind her.

Emily saw her friend leave and sighed. She didn't need to ask why she had taken the discarded sketch as she suspected the IA agents wanted it to use against Morgan.

Glaring at Flaxen, the blonde woman handed the sketch to the man. The man smiled innocently at her as he handed the sketch to Mason after looking at it. The black man examined it.

"Are we done?" asked JJ again.

"Yes we are, agent," Flaxen replied just as politely. "But we don't want either you or Agent Prentiss to stray too far. We'll want to question both of you later this afternoon."

JJ rolled her eyes and stared at both men with disdain. "We won't _dream_ of straying too far," she sneered.

With a smirk on their faces, both agents turned and walked in the opposite direction until they disappeared around the corner. JJ massaged her forehead with a headache coming on when someone touched her on her shoulder making her jump out of her skin. She turned to find Emily standing behind her. The brunette sensed there was a problem and walked outside closing the door behind her.

"Talk to me," said Prentiss. "What's wrong?"

"Flaxen is nothing more than a pompous ass," the blonde said. "He's going to try to use Jack's drawing against Morgan."

"I thought as much. What else did he want?"

"He wants to question you and me later this afternoon." She glanced through the one-way mirror. "How's Jack?"

Emily glanced over her shoulder at the boy inside the room. "He okay." She spotted her friend's frown. "JJ, we got him through this. He'll be fine." She paused. "And when he sees Hotch and that he's alive, he'll start to heal."

"I hope you're right."

* * *

Rossi sat behind his desk in his office with Reid seated in one chair in front of the man's desk. His hands were clasped together and laying in his lap. Jessica sat in the other chair next to him. She dabbed at her eyes with a balled tissue she held in her hand.

"It'll be okay, Jess," Rossi said sympathetically. "Emily and JJ won't let anything happen to Jack. They'll take good care of 'im."

"I know," she said. "It's just that I still can't believe what's happening. Right now, the only positive thing to come out of this entire mess is that Aaron is still alive."

The senior agent smiled. "Thank heavens for small favors."

Jessica smiled in return.

Just then Rossi felt his cell vibrate. Reaching into his inner jacket pocket, he pulled out his cell and checked the caller ID. He got immediately to his feet. "Excuse me for a few minutes but I have to take this." He strode out of his office, closing the door behind him. He put the phone to his ear.

"Rossi."

It was the lab in Quantico. He listened carefully to what he was being told. "You're sure? No, no. I don't doubt you, I just wanted you to be sure. I want you to send me a copy of both reports ASAP and keep an original print out on both the pajamas and the button. I also request that I be informed if anybody other than myself asks about either one. I know it's an unusual request, but I wouldn't ask if it weren't important. Thanks. Bye." He then called the police department lab. "This is SSA David Rossi with the FBI. Let me speak with Doctor Morton. It's urgent. Yes, I'll hold."

He waited two minutes before Morton was on the line.

"This is Doctor Morton speaking. How may I help you Agent Rossi?"

"Doc, do you still have the aluminum bat in your lab?"

"We do. In fact, we were preparing to send it and a copy of the report to your lab in Quantico. Why?"

"Listen to me carefully. Whatever you do, _do not_ send that bat here. I can't tell you why right now but I'd prefer for you to keep it in your lab along with a print out of the original report on it. All I do request is for your lab to send a copy of the report to my attention. Thank you very much. Goodbye." Disconnecting the call, he replaced the phone back in his pocket. He suddenly felt a presence behind him and turned to find Spencer Reid.

"I didn't mean to interrupt, but what was that about?" the young man asked.

"You didn't interrupt, kid. I called the lab with the police department and asked them to keep the bat in their possession for now. Since Aaron's assailant is somebody on the inside, there's the possibility the bat and the report could disappear, or the report somehow be altered. At least this way he can't get access to the weapon. But I asked for a copy of the report and for Doctor Morton to keep a copy of the original report just in case."

Reid nodded his agreement. "What about the call you received?"

Rossi glanced back at Jess still seated in his office. She was ignoring them. "Not now. Let's go inside. I don't wanna leave Jess alone too long." The two men reentered the office and took their seats. "Sorry about that," Rossi apologized.

But Jess wasn't buying it. "Be honest with me, David," she said wiping her cheeks gently. "Was that phone call you got about Aaron?"

"Not at all. It was unrelated."

Jess nodded. She didn't believe him. "David, I've been around Aaron long enough to know when he's lying or purposely keeping something from me. Now I realize you're trying to protect me, but please don't. I need to know what's happening. Please tell me."

Rossi clasped his hands atop his desk and his eyes met hers. He could tell she would accept nothing less than the truth from him no matter good or bad. He nodded.

"You're right," he slowly began. "I am trying to protect you, and you do deserve to know what's going on." He let out a deep breath. "Ok. The call I got was from the lab here in Quantico. They completed the testing of the blood on Jack's pajamas and on the blood-covered button we found at Aaron's."

"The blood was Aaron's, wasn't it?" she asked tentatively.

"Yes. They ran it three times and got the same results each time. There's no doubt whatsoever. It was Aaron's blood."

"I see," Jess said struggling to keep her composure. Just the thought of her nephew covered in his father's blood was too horrible to imagine. "And what about Agent Morgan? Is he in jail yet?" Her eyes hardened at just speaking the agent's name.

Rossi inwardly cringed at her harsh tone when asking about Morgan, but over the years, he had learned how to mask his emotions. If anything, he wished he could erase hers and Jack's pain by telling them the truth, but knew he couldn't just yet.

"Right now he's suspended pending the investigation by Internal Affairs," he explained as gently as he could. "We have to wait until they complete their investigation. And if he's found guilty…."

"What do you mean _if_ he's found guilty!?" she said raising her voice. "He tried to murder Aaron! He might have gone after Jack next! I could have lost my nephew, and might still lose my brother-in-law. And you call yourself Aaron's best friend! _Shame on you!"_ Her last words were spoken with venom.

Reid put what he hoped was a comforting hand on one of the blonde's shoulders. Not used to dealing with human emotions, he wasn't sure as to what to do. He was used to dealing with statistics and probabilities. So he tried to phrase his words carefully.

"Agent Rossi didn't mean any harm, ma'am. He was just trying to explain the procedure we must go through before a fellow agent can be arrested."

Rossi waved a hand at Reid making him stop. He understood the woman's anger and that she didn't mean what she said. But still her words hurt.

"I'm sorry," he said apologetically.

* * *

He sat drinking a cup of hot coffee, lost in thought. He might have to throw Derek Morgan 'under the bus' so to speak when it came down to it. But the BAU was getting too close. And if it continued, it would have to be either Morgan or him. And he wasn't about to let himself go to jail. And although he hated the idea of leaving Hotchner's son without a parent, he couldn't risk the man waking up and telling what he remembered. So he made the regretful decision that Aaron Hotchner needed to die, and the sooner the better. But there were two obstacles in his path.

The first were the guards outside the man's room. The other was how to kill him in a way that wouldn't arouse suspicion. It needed to appear Hotchner had succumbed to his injuries. He needed to give both a lot of thought. For he had come too far to let the agent stop him by waking up and talking.

* * *

"I'm sorry," Jessica said after a few moments of silence. "I didn't mean to say what I did. I know you're Aaron's best friend."

"Nothing to forgive. And I understand how you feel. Forget it." He smiled when he noticed the corners of her mouth curl upward. His eyes shifted past her when he spotted who was by the windows of his office. Reid and Jessica both turned in their seats to see who he was looking at.

JJ reached for the door handle, opened the door, and walked in. She still looked a little unnerved from earlier.

"JJ, what's wrong?" asked the senior agent. "Where's Jack?"

"He's in the conference room with Emily. He wanted to make a get-well card for his dad and she's helping him."

"Is the interview over?" asked a worried Jess.

"Yes. Thankfully it didn't last long, and we got him through it. He's fine."

Rossi suspected the blonde was withholding something that she didn't want to say in front of the woman. He would wait until Jessica and Jack left to inquire.

JJ collapsed onto the sofa and rested the back of her head against the back of the sofa. She let out a deep breath.

Another five minutes had passed before Emily entered Rossi's office holding Jack by one hand. In the child's other hand, he held the card he had made for his dad. When he saw his aunt, he smiled and hurried toward her.

"Aunt Jess, look what I made!" he uttered excitedly, holding out the card to her. "I made a card for daddy! Aunt Emily helped me with the spelling!"

Forcing a smile to her face, his aunt looked at the card and read the inscription her nephew had written. She handed it back to him.

"It's beautiful. Your dad's going to love it because you made it. You can leave it with him when we visit as soon as he's out of ICU."

Jack was about to ask more questions but Rossi interrupted. "Champ, why don't you and your aunt head home and get some rest. I'm sure your aunt's tired, and you've had a long day."

"Uncle Dave is right, Jack. I'm tired and you must be as well. We both need a little rest. Why don't I take you home and fix us something to eat?"

"Okay, Aunt Jess."

Jessica got to her feet and took her nephew's hand. She smiled at the three agents in front of her. "Thank you David, JJ, Emily. I appreciate everything you've done for me and Jack today." She stared toward the door which Emily opened and held open for her.

Emily closed the door behind them then settled into the now vacant chair beside Reid. She let out a deep breath.

The senior agent studied the blonde media liaison. "What happened during that interview you didn't want to say in front of Jessica?" he asked.

JJ and Emily exchanged looks before Emily spoke. "Jack needed a break, so JJ and I let him use crayons and paper to draw on. But it's what he drew that was disturbing."

"Let me guess," began the older man. "He drew a picture of Morgan attacking his dad."

Prentiss nodded grimly.

"That's not all," JJ continued. "Agent Flaxen intends to use it against Morgan. And to be honest, he looked almost gleeful when I had to give it to him. I hate that man."

"Join the club," added Prentiss. "He had no compassion for Jack when he got upset. He even had the audacity to ask JJ why we stopped the interview when Jack became upset."

Reid and Rossi shook their heads in dismay.

"Did Jack reveal anything new during the interview?" Reid asked Prentiss.

"Only that he heard tires leaving the house in a hurry after he found Hotch on the floor. But he didn't see who it was because he stayed with his dad."

"Sounds like whoever attacked Hotch left in a hurry wanting to get away before the police arrived," said the young genius.

"That's what I think, too," Rossi agreed. "Unfortunately, since Jack didn't see him, that information doesn't help Morgan. In fact, it makes it worse for 'im." He then explained about the agent's connection to the three women and what Garcia had found.

"Morgan knows all three women?" asked JJ, aghast.

"'Fraid so. He's also currently dating one of the women. A Lanie Desmond."

JJ massaged her forehead. "This case just keeps getting better and better, doesn't it?"

"It sure does," Prentiss agreed. "And worse and worse for Morgan."

"That's why we can't let up," said Rossi. "Emily, I want you to question Lanie Desmond; JJ, Sondra Willis; and Reid, Beth Gilliam. We need to know about Morgan's relationship with all three women, and what they may have told him about their problems with their supervisors. We also need to know what Morgan's reactions were to their news."

"What are you going to do while we're gone?" asked Reid as he and the women got to their feet.

"I need to talk to Derek and get his side of things, and then I'm gonna check with Garcia and see if she's found anything new. Get going. Oh, and JJ, Emily, don't forget to get back here as soon as possible. IA's gonna be looking for you both later." He saw both women nodded that they understood.

Once alone, the senior agent pulled out his cell phone.

* * *

A blonde nurse had just finished re-wrapping the bandage around Hotch's head, while an older nurse stood on the opposite side of the bed checking the readings on the equipment. Finished, the blonde woman stood by the head of the bed and studied the man's face. Her name tag said Jenny.

"You think he'll make it?" she asked the older nurse, a gray-haired woman whose name was Hilda.

Hilda looked at the unconscious man and sighed. "Hope so," she said. "I hear the nurses say he's got a young son and is a single parent. Real shame."

Jenny shook her head sadly. She was about to reach out to check the bandage around his head one last time when something made her freeze.

It was a soft groan.

The two nurses paused, looked at each other, and then at the patient. Hilda lay her clipboard on the edge of the bed, and lay one of his hands in hers.

"Mr. Hotchner, can you hear me? If you can hear me, give us a sign."

For a long moment there was no response, causing the nurses to think they may have imagined things. They were about to give up and resume what they were doing when it happened again. And this time there was no doubt about it.

There was another soft groan this time accompanied by slight pressure on Hilda's hand.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

Hilda looked at Jenny. "Get Doctor Hochstein. Hurry!" she ordered.

As Jenny raced out of the room, Hilda again looked at the patient.

"Open your eyes, Mr. Hotchner! I know you can do it! Open your eyes for me!"

With his face etched with pain, Hotch's eyes struggled to obey. But the only thing he could do was utter another soft groan and curl his fingers around Hilda's hand.

Seconds later the door opened again, and Doctor Hochstein followed by Jenny rushed inside the room.

"He hasn't opened his eyes yet, doctor," Hilda explained anticipating Hochstein's question. She watched the doctor nod his head and lean over the agent.

"Aaron, open your eyes! You can do it! Now open your eyes for me!"

In agony, Hotch fought to do as told. With his face contorted in extreme pain, he opened his eyes and stared straight ahead.

Hochstein was beyond jubilant. He gripped the hand that lay in Hilda's and squeezed it tightly.

"Welcome back, Aaron," he said with a wide smile.

Hotch, despite the discomfort the movement caused, turned his head toward the doctor and let his eyes rest on the man. After a minute, he closed his eyes again.

"Doctor…?" asked Jenny becoming fearful.

"It's fine, nurse," Hochstein replied. "He's asleep again." He put his patient's hand back on the bed, then faced Hilda. "I want you to contact Agent Rossi at the FBI right away. Tell him our patient is awakening from his coma."

"Right away, doctor."

* * *

Rossi listened to Morgan's phone ring for a while before somebody answered.

"Hey, Rossi." It was Morgan.

"Derek, you and I need to talk. You got a minute?"

"Yeah. What is it?"

Rossi explained what transpired during Jack's cognitive interview, and ended with explaining what Garcia had uncovered.

"That picture Jack drew doesn't make me look too good, does it?"

Rossi sighed. "It doesn't make you appear innocent if that's what you're asking. In fact, JJ said Flaxen looked gleeful when he found out about it."

"I can imagine. But it's not Jack's fault. The last thing he remembers is me being in his house. He had no way of knowing I left and somebody else showed up afterward."

"I understand. Now about the women."

"Yeah, man, I meant to tell you the whole story."

"Tell me now," Rossi urged him. Just then he got an alert of an incoming call. He put Morgan on hold and accepted the other call when he noticed it was the hospital. A wide smile appeared as he listened. After thanking the caller, he switched back to Morgan. "Listen, we'll talk about this later. Right now I need you to meet me at the hospital."

Fear ran through the black agent's mind. "Did something happen to Hotch?"

"Yes. He's waking up from his coma. I'll meet you there."

* * *

Getting out of his vehicle, Rossi ran through the front doors of the hospital. After leaving the BAU, he drove like a maniac, reaching his destination in a little over an hour in rush hour traffic. All thanks to turning on his siren and flashing lights which allowed him to make it through every red light he came across. He hurried to the nurses' station where he spotted Doctor Hochstein speaking with a nurse. He tapped the doctor on his shoulder. The doctor turned, spotted the older man, and smiled in greeting.

"Agent Rossi, you got here quickly."

"When I heard Aaron had awakened, I broke a speed record to get here," the older man huffed slightly out-of-breath. "Can I see 'im?"

"First of all, take a minute and catch your breath while I explain something."

After a few minutes, Rossi, hands on hips, nodded. "I'm okay now, doc. Just tell me what it is you want to tell me."

"Agent Hotchner did wake up only for a few moments. And even though he didn't say anything, he did seem to understand me when I spoke to him."

Rossi smiled. "That's a good sign, isn't it?"

"Yes, a very good sign." The doctor was about to continue when they were interrupted.

" _Rossi!"_ a familiar voice shouted from down the hall. Both men turned and saw Morgan hurrying toward them.

"Morgan, I didn't expect you to get here just yet," said the senior agent.

"When you told me Hotch was awake and to meet you at the hospital, I figured I'd better make tracks getting here."

The older man put a hand on one of the black man's shoulders, and shook it tightly. He grinned. "I'm glad you made it."

"I wouldn't want to be anyplace else," said Morgan. He looked at Hochstein. "How is he, doc?"

Hochstein repeated what he had just told Rossi, then stared at both men.

"Can we see 'im," asked Rossi a second time.

Hochstein smiled. "Of course."

* * *

It was nearly fifteen minutes later when Rossi and Morgan entered Hotch's room. They were glad to see the guards posted outside the room. Despite the guards recognizing the profilers, Rossi and Morgan produced their credentials anyway. They were then allowed to go inside and visit the injured agent.

Morgan sat on the edge of the bed, while Rossi grabbed a chair, and pulled it close to the head of the bed. He held his friend's hand in his. Hotch moaned again feeling the human contact. It broke the older man's heart that the downside of Hotch waking from his coma was that he would suffer the full brunt of the pain from his injuries. Rossi wished he could take that pain onto himself so his friend wouldn't have to suffer.

"You're gonna be okay, Aaron," he said in a soft voice. "You're getting better and stronger each day. And you have us, Jack and Jessica to help and support you. We'll all be with you every step of the way."

As he watched his best friend, he was comforted by the rise and fall of the man's chest now that he was breathing on his own, and unaided by a machine. "We were afraid we had lost you. You really scared us for awhile. But you survived and are gonna get well."

Though he was unconscious, Hotch moaned again, this time turning his head slightly in Rossi's direction. As his eyes opened a slit, he slowly focused on the older man.

"Dave…" he said in whispered recognition, his voice scratchy.

Rossi smiled as he gripped Hotch's hand tighter. "About time your lazy ass woke up."

"Water…" said the injured man.

"Comin' up," Rossi replied releasing Hotch's hand and reached over to the nearby table on which sat a pitcher holding fresh water, and a plastic cup and straw. He poured water into the cup. "Here, take small sips. I'm bettin' your throat's sore from havin' had a tube in it."

He supported Aaron's head allowing him to sip the cool water. After a few sips, Hotch indicated he didn't want anymore, and he gently lay the man's head back on his pillow.

"Than…u," Hotch whispered.

"You're welcome. You have no idea how grateful we are you're still with us. How happy I am." He glanced over at the black man. "I'd better let Morgan have a few words. He's been chompin' at the bit wanting to talk to you." He got up from the chair and let the black agent take the now vacated seat. Morgan gripped Hotch's hand tightly in his. There were tears in his eyes as he stared at his boss fondly.

"I don't want to take a lot of time, man, cause you need your rest. We need you. Hell, I need you. Please, you gotta come back to us…all of us." He wanted to say something else, like how guilty he still felt about leaving Hotch alone thus allowing him to get hurt. But he knew this was not the time to overwhelm the man with what he couldn't change. He'd wait until the Unit Chief was more lucid. Morgan swallowed the lump in his throat.

"Guess I better shut up before I start ramblin' like Reid, huh?" He forced a smile to his face.

The corners of Hotch's mouth curled upward.

"O…k."

Morgan stood up and allowed Rossi to sit back down again. He took Hotch's hand in both of his and squeezed. "We have to leave now, but the entire team will be here this evening to visit. JJ, Emily, Reid, and Garcia will be thrilled when they find out you're awake. So we'd better let you get some rest for now."

Too tired to speak, Hotch squeezed Rossi's hand in response, and closing his eyes, soon drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Rossi and Morgan carried their Styrofoam cups of hot coffee and found an empty table in the hospital cafeteria. It was located in the far corner in front of a floor-to-ceiling window. There was nobody seated close by so both agents could talk freely and openly.

The older man took a sip of his coffee before he looked at his teammate.

"Talk to me. I want to know about your connection to these three women. Let's start with Sondra Willis."

Morgan let out a deep breath and lay both forearms on the table in front of him. "I met Sondra in a coffee shop about seven months ago. She got a cup of coffee and a cheese Danish, and sat down at an empty table. I was about to leave when I spotted her. I thought she was a real fox, so I bought a cup of coffee and asked her if I could share her table. She said yes so I sat down and we ended up talking. After fifteen minutes, I asked her on a date."

Rossi arched his eyebrows. "After fifteen minutes you asked her on a date?" He was amused.

Morgan smirked. "Some of us don't like wastin' time when we see what we like unlike you old guys."

"Hey," Rossi feigned annoyance. "Some of us old guys like to take things slow and romance a woman. But we're getting off the subject. How long did you and Sondra date?"

"We dated about two months before I noticed a change in her."

"What kind of change?"

"She became jumpy, nervous, and quiet. I asked her what was wrong, and she told me she was having problems at work with her boss, Walter Hennessy."

"Did she tell you what kind of problems?"

"She said he was harassing her. I tried getting more info out of her but she wouldn't tell me anything more except it'd been going on for awhile. I suggested she file a complaint and not let 'im get away with it."

"What happened after that?"

"When we met again, she told me she had filed the complaint, but the harassment continued. She ended up requesting a transfer to another unit. We broke up shortly after that."

"How come?"

Morgan shrugged. "Only thing she told me was that she needed time to herself after what happened, and it would be better if we didn't see each other again. So we broke up."

Rossi nodded. "What about Lanie Desmond?"

Morgan shrugged. "Not much to tell. We met a few months ago after Sondra and I broke up and have been dating for about six months. However, two months ago she came to me for advice with a problem she had at work with her supervisor, Bryce DeGault."

"What kind of problem?"

"She told me she was passed over for a position she was determined to be highly qualified for. She found out later she didn't get the job because her boss had written damning things about her. I told her she should file a Defamation suit against the man."

Again Rossi nodded. "Did anything come out of the suit?"

"I have no idea. You'd have to ask her."

"And Beth Gilliam? Reid said he saw the two of you having coffee in the cafeteria."

Morgan grinned and shook his head. "I really need to talk with Pretty Boy about gossiping. Yeah, I had coffee with Beth. She's a good friend and has been for several years."

"Did you have the kind of friendship where she would come to you with her problems and seek your advice?"

"Sometimes. And before you ask me, yes, she did ask my advice when she was being harassed by her supervisor, Gill Macklin. I advised her to file a Harassment suit against the man. Not too long after she did, she was fired and filed a Wrongful Termination suit. But from what I understand, the suit was dropped when Macklin died." He picked up his coffee cup and took a drink of the now lukewarm coffee.

Rossi digested everything he had just been told. He took in and blew out a deep breath.

"Derek, I gotta be honest with you. When IA finds out about these women, and that you knew of their problems, you'll be lucky if all they do is lock you up and throw away the key."

"What happens now?"

"Well…" Rossi clasped his hands in front of him on the table. "Reid, Prentiss, and JJ are talking with Sondra, Beth, and Lanie. When they get back we'll compare what they said to what you told me."

"What about Baby Girl? She find anything useful yet?"

"Not yet. But I'm gonna check with her when I get back to the BAU. After that, I don't have a clue."

Morgan licked his dry lips. "I know this is a long shot, Rossi, but what about asking Hotch?"

"Ordinarily I'd agree with you, but he's in no condition right now to answer questions."

Morgan ran a hand back-and-forth over his bald head. He was frustrated.

"Hotch may be the only one who can clear me of this," he said.

"I understand. But unfortunately, we need to wait until he's stronger. We try and question him now it could be dangerous for 'im. And as much as I hate this entire situation, I won't jeopardize Aaron's health just to get answers."


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

Flaxen sat behind his desk studying the drawing done by Jack Hotchner. And while it was only a child's sketch, it was done well enough to clearly show a black man suspected to be Derek Morgan, attacking Hotchner. He smirked as he studied the sketch. As far as he was concerned, this along with the interview with the child, should be enough to prove the BAU agent guilty. And while Jack Hotchner's interview didn't show any new or useful information, the child mentioning he saw Morgan angry was what mattered.

"How long you gonna stare at that thing?" asked Mason. Flaxen turned in his chair to stare at his partner.

The blonde man chuckled as he looked at his partner. "I might even frame it if we can lock Derek Morgan away in a cell. This, plus Jack's admission of Morgan's anger at his father, should be enough to get a judge to sign off on a search warrant."

Mason crossed his arms over his chest. "You really think he's still gonna have that shirt we saw hanging on the back of a chair in his apartment?"

"You spotted it, too?" asked Flaxen.

"Sure I did. Unfortunately we couldn't take it with us then. I'm willing to bet it won't be there when we go to carry out the warrant."

"I agree, but we didn't have probable cause then. But hopefully this and the tape of the kid's interview will give us enough for the warrant." A frown appeared. "But I suspect you're right. I bet Morgan got rid of that shirt after we were there the last time. He'd be a fool not to get rid of it."

"I suspect you're right. And even without a closer look at the shirt and the buttons, I'm still willing to bet that missing button on the sleeve will match."

"We can only hope so. But we still haven't found the gun used on Macklin or the poker used to stab Hotchner."

Flaxen nodded with a smirk. "But I'm willing to bet they're with the shirt. And trust me, when we find the shirt, we'll find the gun and the poker. _Then_ we'll have enough to not only arrest Morgan for three counts of first degree murder, but for attempted murder."

"It's unfortunate we can't question Hotchner. I'm sure he could prove beyond a doubt that Morgan was responsible. In fact…." He turned around in the chair and picked up the receiver.

"Who are you gonna call now?" asked Mason.

"The hospital. I not only want to check on Hotchner's condition, but find out if we can speak with him. Hopefully we can." He put the receiver to his ear and dialed the hospital's phone number.

"This is Agent Flaxen with Internal Affairs in the FBI. I want to speak with Doctor Hochstein. Yes, I'll hold." After about three minutes, the man in question came on the phone.

"This is Doctor Hochstein speaking. How can I help you, agent?"

"I'm calling about Agent Hotchner's condition."

"Mr. Hotchner is doing as well as can be expected. He has awakened from his coma and unless his condition changes, he will be moved to a private room tomorrow."

"Is he able to answer any questions?"

"I can't be certain as to how lucid he'll be, but he should be able to answer a few questions. Just keep in mind he may fall asleep at any time. His attention span is extremely short right now."

Flaxen smiled in such a way that sickened Mason.

"We'll be there as soon-as-possible, doctor. Thank you."

* * *

As quickly as he could, Mason drove to the hospital. It had been decided in the end that Flaxen would present their evidence to a judge, and get his/her signature on a search warrant, while Mason questioned Hotchner to save time. He parked his vehicle outside the hospital. Exiting the driver's side of his car, he hurried inside the front doors and directly to the nurse's station. Once he was given the number of Hotchner's room in ICU, he managed to locate the room with little trouble.

His face was expressionless despite seeing the extra security posted outside the door. After showing his credentials, he paused with his hand on the door handle. Taking a deep breath to steady his nerves, he pushed open the door, and quietly walked into the room. He stared at the unnaturally pale man in the bed with his eyes closed. For all he knew, Hotchner could have been sleeping.

Aaron felt he was suddenly not alone in his room, and cracked open his eyes as he turned his head in Mason's direction. The corners of his mouth curled upward. Knowing Derrick Mason for over ten years, he considered him a friend and a good man. Over the years he had invited him to his house for dinner and felt comfortable around him. The man even stopped by the hospital when Jack was born. Jack however, was uncomfortable around the man and couldn't tell his dad why. So whenever the man visited their home, Jack remained in his room refusing to come out until the man had left. Hotch had decided not to express this to Mason until he could figure out why the child felt the way he did.

"Der…rick…" He struggled to get the name out.

Mason smiled. "Aaron, it's good to see you're still with us. How are you? Really?" he sat down in the vacated chair beside the head of the bed.

"Head hurts…"

"I can imagine. In fact, I imagine everything hurts right now." A serious expression appeared on his face. "Aaron, I need to ask you several questions. I understand you're not able to stay awake for long periods of time. So don't feel pressured if you can't answer all of them. Do you understand me?"

Wincing from the motion, Hotch managed to nod his head.

Mason crossed his legs, reached into his inner jacket pocket, and removed a notepad and pen. He lay the open notepad on his top knee.

"Good. Do you know where you are?"

"Hos…pi…tal."

"Do you remember what happened to you?"

"D't…re…mem…ber."

"Are you saying you don't remember what happened to you?" Mason's eyes narrowed.

Hotch nodded slowly.

"I know about the argument you had with Derek Morgan in your office. Did he do this to you? Did he try to kill you?"

Hotch squeezed his eyes shut and a soft moan escaped and his brow furrowed as if forcing himself to remember. Opening his eyes, he tried to keep them focused on Mason.

"Who…Der…rick…Moor…gan?" he asked.

Mason paused. "You don't know who Derek Morgan is?"

"No."

"Can you tell me what the last thing you remember is?"

Hotch closed his eyes again and concentrated. There were images of his team and his son, Jack. Even Jessica.

"Off…ice…work…home…Jack."

Sighing, the IA agent closed his notepad and tucked it and his pen back inside his inner jacket pocket. He had determined this interview would be a waste of time if Hotch didn't remember anything of the attack or even who Derek Morgan was.

"You did fine, Aaron," he said with a smile as Hotch seemed to be tiring rapidly. Any questions IA had would have to wait. "But you need to get some rest if you're gonna get well. I'm come by either later today or tomorrow and visit. Would that be okay with you?"

Positive Aaron had gone to sleep, Mason sighed, got to his feet, and quietly left the room.

Hearing the door close, Aaron cracked open his eyes and stared at the closed door with a blank expression.

* * *

Mason was walking down the corridor and found Doctor Hochstein speaking with a nurse working behind the nurse's station. He approached the doctor from behind.

"Excuse me, doctor. Can I ask you a question?"

Hochstein turned and faced the agent. "Of course. I assume this is about Aaron. Did something happen during your interview?"

"I…he didn't remember what happened to him. How long before his memory comes back?"

Hochstein folded his arms. "That's difficult to say. I've seen patients regain their entire memory about what happened. Some only a partial memory. And then there are those who never regain any memory of what happened."

Mason nodded his head. "He didn't even recognize the name of the man who we suspect did this to him."

"That's not unusual. Only time will determine which way it'll turn out. All you can do is be patient."

And though Hochstein couldn't be certain, he could have sworn that the agent seemed almost relieved by the news.

* * *

Rossi made his way into the BAU after parting company with Morgan outside the hospital. Not seeing any of the others around, he walked up the steps to the catwalk and disappeared into his office. Sitting down behind his desk, he leaned back in his chair, hands clasped together over his midsection. He rested the back of his head on the headrest of his chair, a wide grin on his face as he recalled his visit with Hotch.

He was jubilant that his friend had awakened after being in a deep coma. And even more jubilant he and Morgan had been recognized. He could just imagine how ecstatic JJ, Reid, Garcia, and Prentiss would be when learning the news.

Straightening up in his chair, he picked up the receiver and putting it to his ear, dialed the tech analyst's number. There was an answer after two rings.

"Office of the Queen of the All-Knowing."

"Garcia, I'm just calling to see if you've found anything new since we last spoke."

"Not a thing, my fearless Acting leader. Nada. Zip. Zero. Zilch. But then I had a thought and decided to follow up on it."

"Which is?"

"I thought how similar the name Derrick Mason is to Derek Morgan so I ran a check on the man. I was hoping I could find something on 'im we could use to distract Flaxen."

"And did you?"

"Kinda. Seems Derrick Mason has been with the Bureau for ten years, and with IA for the past seven. And he has what you would call a spotless career; no write-ups, no red flags, no nothing. He has been Flaxen's partner for the past three years. He's never been married and has no children, but is engaged to a Melissa Cower who is a secretary for Human Resources and they have been engaged a little over a year. She has a five-year-old daughter from a previous marriage. He also counsels child abuse victims' ages eleven-to-fifteen three nights a week in his spare time. Overall, he's a nice guy who gets along with everybody. In fact, he is the complete opposite of Flaxen. But I found one thing you might find verrrrryyyy interesting."

"Which is?"

"Okay, remember I said he started with the Bureau ten years ago before he transferred to IA?"

"What about it?" He had no idea of where she was going with this, but he had learned over time the tech analyst had good instincts and to trust them.

"Did you know he began his career in the FBI as a member of SWAT for the first three of those ten years?"

"So?" Rossi asked as he felt his excitement level rise for some unexplained reason.

"Well," Garcia continued, talking rapidly. "And may I have a drum roll please. He was with SWAT the same time as Hotch. In other words, he and Hotch were teammates. How d'ya like them apples?"

"Are you sure about this?"

"As sure as my name is Penelope Garcia."

"Great work, Garcia."

"Thank you, sir. However, I shall keep searching."

"Good. By the way, before I forget, I do have some good news I think you're gonna like."

"What. What. What."

"Morgan and I visited Aaron after I got a call from the hospital. He woke up from his coma earlier." He pulled the receiver away from his ear before the jubilant earth-shattering scream destroyed his eardrum. He grinned, then put the phone to his ear again. "Calm down, Penelope. Hotch is still groggy, but he recognized both of us. I told him the entire team would visit this evening."

"Oh, sir, that's wonderful news! I can't wait to see Bossman and tell him how much we miss him and need him and…"

"Hold your horses. He doesn't stay awake for long periods of time and can fall asleep during a conversation. So don't be upset if that happens during our visit. Also, don't bombard him with questions. He need his rest."

"Is he aware of what happened to 'im?"

"I have no idea. I want to wait until he's a bit more awake before I question him about it. Right now he needs rest more than anything, and I want only good vibes in his presence."

"Don't worry, my Acting liege. I'll be the Queen of positive vibes when I see Bossman."

Rossi chuckled. "I know you will."

* * *

Jessica walked down the hall with a smile on her face. It felt good to smile despite visiting the ICU. She was happy when she found out her ex-brother-in-law had awakened from his coma. She promised herself the next time she visited, she hoped she would be able to bring her nephew. It broke her heart seeing how miserable Jack was by not being allowed to see his dad. After awhile, she found herself approaching Hotch's room. She hesitated when she saw the two agents standing guard outside the door. Knowing she had no FBI credentials, she worried as to how to convince them she wasn't a threat to Aaron so she'd be allowed to visit. But then one of them smiled at her.

"No problem, Miss Brooks," the younger one said. "Agent Rossi gave us a photo of you. You're allowed to visit anytime."

"Thank you," she said with a smile. However, she paused when she grabbed the door handle. Truth be told, she was nervous and wondered if it was a mistake visiting so soon after Aaron had come out of his coma.

"Something wrong, ma'am?" asked the blonde agent. Jess studied the man's face and saw he was genuinely concerned.

Jess pursed her lips then the edges of her mouth turned upward. "I guess I'm just a bit nervous. This is the first time visiting since my ex-brother-in-law came out of his coma."

"No need to be nervous, ma'am. Since Agent Hotchner's awake, you just go right on inside and have a nice visit. Now I'm not a doctor, but I bet it'll be good for both of you."

Nodding at the blonde man, Jess opened the door and paused in the doorway. Slowly, she walked into the room, shutting the door behind her. At first she thought Aaron was sleeping, but when his head turned in her direction, she walked closer and sat down on the edge of the bed.

Feeling the mattress dip slightly, and slight pressure on his uninjured shoulder, Hotch opened his eyes. He looked up at the curly blonde-haired woman. The edges of his mouth turned upward.

"Jess."

"Hi. I know this is a silly question, Aaron, but how are you?"

"O…k…Jack?"

"He's staying with a neighbor. He really wants to see you, but children aren't allowed in the ICU."

The edges of his mouth turned downward into a frown. "Miss…him…so bad. Need to…see…him." His eyes were bright with unshed tears.

She patted his shoulder. "I know you miss him, Aaron. But it won't be for long, though. I understand from the doctor if there are no complications, you could be moved into a private room sometime tomorrow. As soon as you are, I'll bring Jack by for a visit. I promise."

Jessica could see Hotch was becoming sleepy, and as much as she wanted to visit longer, his health came first.

"You're getting tired. I should go so you can get some rest."

"Plea…stay."

"Next time I will, you have my word. Besides, you need your rest if you're going to get better."

When Hotch didn't answer her, Jess studied his face and noticed the man had fallen asleep. A smile of affection appeared. Opening her pocketbook which sat in her lap, she touched the card Jack had made for his dad. She was going to give it to Aaron when she walked in. But once she found out he would be moved into a private room the following day, she decided it would be better to have Jack give his dad the card he made.


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

It was evening when Rossi and Garcia walked into Hotch's room while Reid and Morgan waited in the hall. As if shot out of a cannon, Garcia rushed forward and hugged her Unit Chief before anybody could stop her. She buried her face in his shoulder. A hiss of pain escaped causing the tech analyst to quickly release him and step back, horrified she may have hurt him further.

"I'm so, so sorry, sir. I forgot. I'm really, really so happy to see you awake. I hope I didn't hurt you. I didn't, did I? Because I'd hate to…" she uttered, scared. Hotch's open eyes stared at her and a small smile appeared on his face.

"U…d't…hurt…me…Pen…'lpe," he said.

Garcia grinned causing Rossi to smile. Hotch allowed his eyes to scan his friends. His brow furrowed.

"Where JJ…Em'ly…Moor…gan…and Reid?" he asked.

"JJ and Emily are taking care of something," Rossi explained smoothly. "They'll stop by either later today or sometime tomorrow. Reid and Morgan are outside waiting to see you." He noticed his friend looking at him as if he didn't believe one word.

"Are you okay, sir?" asked Garcia.

"Pea…chi."

He carefully gestured toward Rossi using the hand with the IV needle in the back of it. The senior agent glanced at the blonde.

"Penelope, please wait outside for a few minutes," said Rossi. "I suspect Hotch wants to talk with me alone."

She glanced at the older man for a minute. Not asking a question, she left the room and joined Morgan and Reid on the bench across the hall.

Reid stared at the tech analyst with concerned eyes.

"Baby Girl, what's wrong?" asked Morgan, concerned. "Why aren't you in with Rossi visitin' Hotch?"

Garcia opened her mouth to answer, but Reid interrupted. "Is Hotch okay?" he asked fearfully. He hated to even think something may have happened to Hotch after all he had been through that night.

"Hotch is fine," she answered with a faint smile. "He wanted to talk with Rossi alone. And before you ask, I have no idea as to what."

Reid and Morgan could only look at each other.

* * *

Now alone, Rossi grabbed Hotch's free hand in his. "You wanna ask me what happened, don't you?" he asked.

Hotch nodded his head. Despite tiring, he struggled to stay awake. He needed answers since a visit from Internal Affairs peaked his curiosity. But trying to hide getting tired didn't escape the watchful eyes of David Rossi, and the older man was convinced that Hotch was aware Rossi knew.

"What do you remember, Aaron?"

Hotch closed his eyes as he concentrated, trying again to remember. When he opened them, he stared at his friend.

"Off…ice…work…home…Jack…"

"Are you telling me you don't remember anything that happened?"

Hotch shook his head negatively. Rossi studied his friend, worried. The look in those dark eyes told him his supervisor wasn't fibbing about not remembering the incident. In a way, he was glad Hotch didn't remember what had happened as it was giving him nightmares, so he could only imagine what it would do to his Unit Chief.

"It sounds like you're suffering from post-traumatic amnesia, and can't remember what happened just before and following the attack."

"You…been…talk…in…to Reid?"

Rossi smirked. "I asked the kid the other day. He told me what might happen when you finally woke up."

"Dave…wha…hap…ened to…me?"

Rossi paused as he arranged his words before he spoke. He then told Hotch everything leaving out the part concerning the cognitive interview with his son. He didn't believe the younger man needed to hear that part yet.

He was well aware that Hotch would eventually find out. And when he did, he would be furious that IA forced Jack to endure such an ordeal. But at the same time, he would be relieved and glad JJ and Emily conducted the interview themselves. He knew both women would protect his son.

Tiring, Hotch yawned, and winced.

"Maybe we'd better leave and let you rest, Aaron," said Rossi.

"Moor…gan…ok?"

Dave grinned. Despite having serious injuries, the Unit Chief still worried about his teammates' welfare and safety. "Yeah, he's okay." His eyebrows knitted. "I get the impression that even though you don't remember anything, none of this came as any great surprise."

Hotch yawned again. Rossi could see the man's eyelids were drooping, and he was fighting to keep them open.

"Am I right?"

"Mas…on…came. Ask ques…tions. Moor…gan. Den…ied knowing…Moor…gan."

 _That's my boy!_ He thought to himself. "And that clued you in, eh?"

"No need…un…less…trub…ble."

Rossi took in and let out a deep breath. He was furious that Mason tried to interview Hotch in his current condition. He ground his lower jaw.

Hotch yawned. His eyelids were drooping. "Dave…tell…Moor…gan…Reid…sorry. Tired."

Rossi chuckled and shook his head. By the time he looked back at the man, Hotch's eyes were closed and a gently snoring could be heard.

The older man gently put Hotch's hand back on the bed, got up from the chair, and quietly left the room. The others got to their feet as the older man walked out of the door and approached them.

"Is he all right?" asked Garcia, tears causing her eyes to glisten.

"He's okay."

He looked apologetically at the group. "Reid, Morgan, he did ask me to tell you he's sorry he couldn't see you before he fell asleep. He barely stayed awake while we were talking. But you three can see him next time we visit. You have my word." He noticed the look of disappointment on Reid's face as he hadn't been able to visit with the Unit Chief and he sympathized. "Sorry kid," he added staring at Reid. "I know how much you wanted to see him this time."

Reid swallowed the lump in his throat. "I am. But it's okay. Hotch needs his rest right now. I'll see him next time." Inwardly, what he really wanted was to see Aaron's condition for himself. He understood what the doctor had said about his boss getting better, but he wanted to judge for himself. He didn't want Rossi to feel guilty for him not being able to visit, so he allowed a weak smile to appear. But the smile didn't fool Rossi one bit, and the older man kept his concerns to himself.

"There's something you're not telling us, man," said Morgan with his eyebrows knitted, staring at the older man.

Rossi sighed tiredly. "Agent Mason was here before we visited and tried questioning Hotch about what happened." He could see the anger on their faces.

Morgan balled one fist and punched a nearby wall with such force the others thought he might have broken his hand. Fortunately for him he didn't. Grinding his lower jaw, Morgan massaged the back of his neck and turned away from the others.

Tears fell from Garcia's eyes, and sliding fingers under her frames, wiped them away. She focused her red, wet eyes on the older man.

"I will bring fire and brimstone down on that man! He will rue the day he interfered with Bossman's recovery. I will create hell on earth for Derrick Mason! I will…"

"He's just doing his job, Garcia," Reid explained softly as the voice of reason. "He would've questioned Hotch eventually."

Garcia spun angrily around and faced the younger man, jabbing a forefinger at him. _"Don't you defend Mason to me! How dare you take his side! How can you…"_

"I'm not," Reid pleaded with hands held up, palms forward, in defense of himself.

" _That's enough!"_ Rossi said in a raised voice catching everyone's attention. "Everybody needs to calm down." He held up his hands palms facing forward pleadingly. "I realize we're all upset by IA questioning Aaron in his weakened condition. But Reid's right. They are doing their jobs and would have come to him eventually. Besides, this is not the time to be at each other's throats. We have enough trouble keeping Strauss off _our_ backs without jumping down each other's throats. Our job is to help clear Morgan, and find out nearly killed Hotch. I hope I've made things clear? If any of you can't focus on what we need to do, tell me now."

"Sorry, sir," said the tech analyst wiping her eyes again. "I apologize, my Hunk-a-Grey Matter. I had no right to blame you." She flashed a smile at Reid.

Reid returned her smile and stuck his hands in his pockets. "That's okay, Garcia. We're all upset."

"Sorry, man," said Morgan to the older agent.

Everybody suddenly noticed Rossi smirk, and looked at each other.

"What's so funny, man?" Morgan hissed becoming angry again.

"Hotch said he told Mason he didn't know who you were when he was asked."

Chuckles were heard hearing this, and if anything, it considerably eased the tension among them. It also proved to them that Hotch was in control of his thinking, and this was, to them, great news. But as happy as they were, Rossi's next piece of news dampened that happiness.

"There's something else, isn't there?" said the tech analyst warily.

Rossi sighed and nodded his head. "Aaron has no memory of anything regarding his attack. The last thing he remembers is being in his office and later going home to Jack." He looked at the black agent grimly. "He also has no memory of you coming to his home after work. I had to tell him everything except Jack's interview."

"So Hotch doesn't remember his attack at all?" asked Morgan, secretly relieved but concerned. If Hotch didn't remember his assault, there was no way he could clear his name with Internal Affairs.

Reid interjected. "The most common aftereffect of a head injury is memory loss. Sounds like Hotch's last memory right now is being at work and then going home to his son. But like the doctor said, his memory could come back."

"But he recognizes each of us," added Garcia, looking between the three men. "That's a good thing, isn't it?"

"A very good thing," Reid explained. "It's also a good thing he understands what is said to him. He can hear, he can respond to questions, and he is aware, and all this is good also. Of course I'm not a medical doctor, but that sounds like a lot of positives to me."

His words brought a bigger smile to Garcia's face. She launched herself at Reid, hugging him tightly, his arms pinned to his sides.

"Garcia, I can't breathe," he uttered feeling the life being squeezed out of him. The tech analyst quickly released the younger man and stepped back. "Sorry," she admitted apologetically. "I hope I didn't hurt you."

Reid took in and let out a deep breath. "I'm fine, I'm fine. No damage."

Only thing Rossi and Morgan could do is laugh at the entire thing.

* * *

Mason walked into his partner's cubicle where he found Flaxen seated at his desk, his eyes scanning the folded papers stapled together he held in his hands. There was a smile on his face. The man looked up when he felt the other man's presence.

"Well?" he asked. "How'd it go with Hotchner? Did he give you anything we can use against Morgan?" The grim expression on Mason's face caused a frown to appear on his own. "What's wrong?"

"We can forget Hotchner."

"Why? He refuse to cooperate with you?"

"No. He has no memory of his attack. In fact, when I asked him about Morgan, he had no idea who I was talking about."

Simon's blue eyes flashed angrily. "What do you mean he doesn't remember the attack, or that one of his own agents is responsible?"

"Just that. He has no memory of the entire thing."

"How do you know he's being truthful? He could be lying about not remembering what happened and that it was Derek Morgan who attacked him."

Mason folded his arms and sighed. "I thought so too, at first. Then I spoke with his doctor. He said amnesia is not uncommon with a head injury. It's also possible Hotchner might get his memory back completely, in part, or not at all. We're just going to have to wait."

Flaxen sighed, disappointed. "It would have been helpful if he could confirm it was Morgan who attacked him." His face brightened, and he held up a folded sheaf of papers. "But we might not need it."

"What's that?"

"A signed warrant to search Derek Morgan's home. I was waiting for you to get back before carrying it out."

Mason grinned as he took the warrant from his partner and looked it over before he handed it back. "That was quick," he commented.

"I was lucky enough to meet with a judge who happens not to be a fan of corrupt law enforcement. When I told him the suspect was an FBI agent, he was only too glad to sign the warrant." He got to his feet and grabbed his jacket.

"I thought we'd be questioning Agents Jareau and Prentiss this afternoon?"

"We were. But I want to search Morgan's house in the hopes we might find that shirt. Besides, I left a message with Chief Strauss that we would question Agents Prentiss, Jareau, Technical Analyst Garcia, and Doctor Reid tomorrow. I especially want Garcia and Reid last as they are closest to Morgan. She'll make certain they're available. Now, are you ready for a field trip?"

"Lead the way," said Mason, smiling.

* * *

Erin Strauss pushed open one of the doors of the BAU and walked inside, glancing around trying to find the members of her best team. But to her dismay, the bullpen was vacant. Then she glanced upward in the direction of Rossi's office, only to find it empty as well. She ground her jaw and her eyes hardened. _The fools!_

She had a suspicion as to what they were doing, and it angered her, especially after they had been warned repeatedly as to the consequences they faced. Well, this time they would not get away with their disobedience. They'd all be suspended without pay during the length of the investigation, and longer if she had her way. She was about to turn around and leave when she heard the door open behind her.

"Can I help you, Erin?"

Strauss turned and glared at Rossi who stood in front of her with arms crossed, and an amused grin on his face. He could tell his grin irritated the Section Chief, and he was in no mood to care.

" _Where_ have you been, David?" she said hating the familiarity of a subordinate using her first name. "And _where_ is the rest of the team?"

"We were visiting Aaron if you must know," he calmly explained. "The hospital called me earlier saying that he had come out of his coma. So we all went to see him."

The Section Chief arched her eyebrows hearing this. "You returned here. Why haven't Agents Jareau, Prentiss, Miss Garcia, and Doctor Reid returned with you?"

"Emily said something about wanting to get a bite to eat before coming back here. And since I wasn't hungry, I told them to go ahead."

Strauss folded her arms. She couldn't tell if the man was lying or not. But for now, she'd play along.

"And how is he?"

Rossi let out a deep breath. "He's healing. But he doesn't remember anything of what happened. Not a thing."

"Not even the fact that Agent Morgan assaulted and nearly killed him?" She showed her disdain.

"Watch it, Erin. No, he remembers nothing. I spoke with his doctor, and he said amnesia is quite common with a head injury. He added Aaron could regain his memory in time. Frankly, I hope he never remembers what happened."

"How can you say such a thing? His testimony will greatly help Internal Affairs with their investigation. He can confirm that it _was_ Agent Morgan who is responsible"

"Be reasonable. How do you think Hotch is gonna feel recalling that Morgan might be responsible for what happened to him? It could destroy him." His eyes narrowed and he stared at her. "Or are you hoping he _will_ blame Morgan so it _will_ destroy Hotch and give you an excuse to terminate him?"

Strauss glowered at him with pursed lips.

"Don't be impertinent with me, David!" she hissed. "I'm in no mood for your wisecracks!"

"And I'm not in any mood for your accusations regarding Derek without any proof despite how things may look."

"In the end, we'll see who's right. And one last thing. I suspect your team is investigating on their own. And if I find out my suspicions are true; you and your team will be suspended without pay." She moved past Rossi preparing to leave.

"Have a nice day, Erin," he joked watching her walk toward the door.

As Strauss pushed open the door, she nearly collided with Reid, JJ, and Emily who were coming in.

"Ma'am," said JJ.

Strauss paused and looked back at the trio. "I received a call from Agent Flaxen. He and Agent Mason want to question you three and Miss Garcia tomorrow. You will inform Miss Garcia, and make sure all four of you are available." The woman glared stonily at them before abruptly turning and storming away.

With a shrug of her shoulders, Prentiss and the others exchanged glances and walked into the BAU, where they noticed Rossi sitting on the edge of Prentiss's desk with arms folded, and a serious look on his face.

"What's going on?" asked Emily, suspiciously.

"JJ, contact Garcia and tell her to join us in the conference room immediately. We need to have a talk. The rest of you, conference room…" said Rossi, getting to his feet. _"Now!"_


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: Sorry to be a few days late with this chapter, but had a bit of trouble getting it the way I wanted it.**

 **Chapter 19**

The team sat around the table in the conference room for nearly ten minutes as they waited for Garcia to appear. Rossi sat in Hotch's seat at the head of the table with hands clasped atop the table. He glanced at JJ.

"Did you tell Garcia it was important she be here right away?" he asked, keeping a tight rein on his emotions so he didn't sound impatient.

"She said she was on her way."

"Then where is she?"

Before the media liaison could respond, the door opened and the tech analyst hurried inside as fast as her platform heels allowed. Closing the door behind her, she fell into a vacant chair between Reid and Prentiss.

"Sorry I'm late, everybody." She focused on the senior agent. "I tried to get here as fast as I could after JJ called me, sir." She added apologetically.

Rossi waved her off with his hand. He didn't have time for this. "Forget it, Kitten. Main thing is you made it."

"So what's going on?" she asked, worried.

Rossi reiterated what had occurred during Strauss's visit. He ended with IA wanting to speak with the four of them the next day. When he finished, he looked at each of them waiting to see if anybody had something to say.

"So that's why the She-Devil was so pissed," said Prentiss. "When we were coming inside the BAU, she made a point of telling us that we better be available for IA tomorrow."

Rossi nodded. "I suspected she wasn't telling me everything. I think it kinda pissed her off not finding any of us here when she walked in the office. My guess? She suspects we're working Morgan's case."

"What did you tell her?" asked Reid curiously.

"I told her I got a call from the hospital telling me Hotch had come out of his coma, and that we visited him. So if she asks, that's what we did."

"What else did we do, sir?" asked Garcia timidly.

"I told her I came directly back to the BAU, but the rest of you wanted to get something to eat before coming back."

"But you came directly back to the BAU ahead of us," said JJ. "How did you explain that?"

Rossi grinned. "I told her I wasn't hungry and returned here instead."

"Way to go, sir," Garcia smiled at the older man.

"Thanks. Now, how 'bout we discuss what the three women had to say. JJ?"

"Okay. When I arrived at Sondra Willis's home, at first I thought she might not be home because the door was locked and the curtains drawn. I rang the doorbell several times, then knocked on the door without getting an answer. I was ready to leave when I noticed the curtains in one window move. I told her I wanted to speak with her about Derek Morgan. That's when she opened the door and let me inside."

"Did she give you anything useful?" asked Reid, hopeful.

JJ sighed sadly. "Yes, but it isn't good. She told me she met Morgan at a coffee shop a couple of months ago. Morgan walked in a few minutes later. She said when she noticed him she found him sexy, and let him share her table because the place was crowded, and there were no other available tables. One thing led to another, and by the time they left the coffee shop, she agreed to go on a date with him."

Prentiss shook her head, amused. "That man doesn't waste time, I'll say that for 'im." She became serious. "Did she ever mention her problems with her boss to him?"

"One night after their date, she mentioned her problems with Hennessy, and that he harassed her and had been for awhile."

"Did Morgan offer any opinion of what to do about Hennessy?" asked Rossi seriously.

"Yes. She said he advised her to file a complaint, and she did the next day. But the harassment continued. It became so bad she requested a transfer to another unit on a different floor just to get away from him. She broke up with Derek shortly after her transfer went through."

"How come they broke up?" asked Reid.

JJ shrugged. "Not exactly sure. All she would say is that she needed space, and time to herself after what happened with Hennessy, and that's why she broke up with Derek."

Rossi nodded as he mulled over what he had heard. "Did she give you any indication as to whether she thinks Derek was involved in Hennessy's death?"

JJ bit her lower lip as she stared at the man. "That's where it turns really bad for Derek. She thinks he did it."

"She tell you that?" asked Reid, his eyes wide in surprise.

"Not in so many words. She remembers when Hennessy continued harassing her despite the complaint having been filed, she told him about the continued abuse. She told me Morgan blew up and promised her he would deal with Hennessy personally. I asked her what she thought he meant by that, and all she said was shortly after he made that promise, Hennessy turned up dead the following morning."

Rossi shook his head sadly. He secretly admitted JJ had been right. This was not good.

"What's wrong?" asked Emily watching the older man.

"I asked Morgan about the three women after we visited Hotch. He told me about all three, but he never mentioned anything about becoming angry and promising to deal with Hennessy himself." His eyes switched to Emily. "Prentiss, did you have any luck with Lanie Desmond?"

Emily shrugged noncommittally. "I don't know if I'd call it luck, you guys will have to make that determination yourselves. When I spoke with Desmond, she told me she and Derek have been dating for about six months. But a month ago, she applied for a position the hiring supervisor hinted she would be perfect for. Anyway, two weeks later, she was informed by the same supervisor she did not get the job."

"What happened?" asked Reid.

"Apparently, her current supervisor, Bryce DeGault, had written damning and untrue things about her and put them in her personnel file. So naturally, when she had been considered for the new position, the hiring supervisor saw them."

"Did she tell Morgan about it?" asked Garcia. The others looked at her, making her embarrassed by all the attention. "I mean, they were dating and everything so I would think she would share things with him."

"Not at first. But Morgan started noticing a change in her after she didn't get the job, so he asked her. She told him how DeGault had cost her to lose the job with what he had written about her. He suggested she file a Defamation suit against the man. She followed his suggestion and filed it."

"So Morgan knew about her trouble with DeGault," Rossi stated.

"According to Lanie, he did."

"I hate to even ask this," said Garcia. "But how did my Chocolate God react to the news?"

"Not well, I'm afraid. She remembers Morgan became enraged even after she filed the suit. Said he wanted to go to the man's office and I quote: 'pummel the man' to teach him a lesson. Her exact words."

"When was this?"

"The night before DeGault died. She also told me Derek usually stopped by her house after work, but that day he was later than usual with no explanation as to why he was late. And when he showed up, he looked, to her anyway, like he had been in a fight of some kind. He had bruised and bleeding knuckles, and scratches on his forearms. But she didn't ask him about it and he didn't offer an explanation. The following morning she heard about DeGault's death."

"What's wrong?" Garcia asked seeing Rossi's grim expression.

"Morgan didn't mention that part to me either." He stroked his goatee. "So far none of this makes him looks good. If anything, it connects him to two of the three murders and gives him a motive for each." Everybody stared at him.

"This is bad, isn't it?" asked Penelope shakily.

"It ain't good," answered Rossi. He leaned back in his chair with hands clasped over his midsection. "About Lanie's Defamation suit. Do we know what happened to it since he died before I assume it was settled?"

"According to Desmond, the suit was dropped because the man it was filed against died before he could be formerly charged."

Rossi sighed and nodded his head. He looked at his youngest. "Reid, please tell us you have good news after your talk with Beth Gilliam."

Reid shrugged his shoulders. What he had discovered couldn't be considered good or bad, but regardless, he supposed added to everything else, wouldn't look good.

"Well?"

"I asked Beth how long she had known Morgan, and was told they had been friends for about six years. About a month ago, she started having problems with her boss, Gill Macklin. Apparently he'd make inappropriate comments in her presence when they were alone, or in front of others. After trying to ignore him for a week, she contacted Morgan and asked him to meet her in the cafeteria to talk."

"Let me guess," began JJ. "She told him about Macklin."

"Not at first. In the beginning, they talked about different things until, according to her, Derek suspected she was withholding something and urged her to tell him, so she did. His advice was she should file a Harassment suit against Macklin, and after they went their separate ways, she did exactly that."

"What happened after she filed the suit?" asked Penelope, afraid to hear more.

"After Macklin got wind of the Harassment suit, he fired her. Again she asked Morgan's advice, and he told her to file a Wrongful Termination suit against Macklin which she did."

"Doesn't sound like he omitted anything important as far as what he told me regarding Beth," said Rossi somewhat relieved.

"That's not all," Reid added, sounding grim.

"Sounds like we're not gonna like what you're about to say," the older agent said.

"You're not," Reid agreed somberly. He let out a deep breath before he continued. "Just after she was fired, she went to Morgan and told him what happened. She said he became enraged about what Macklin had done and commented that somebody needed to teach him a lesson on how to treat people with respect. I could sense she was withholding something, and prodded her to continue."

"Did she?" asked Prentiss.

"She…she told me she and Derek went to Macklin's office. She tried to stop him but said he refused to listen. The two men got into a physical altercation witnessed by her and other employees. The last thing she heard Morgan say as he was dragged out of Macklin's office was that he'd kill the man."

There were groans heard within the four walls of the conference room.

Prentiss looked at Rossi who momentarily closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead.

"Let me guess," she said. "Morgan didn't tell you that either."

Rossi didn't say anything. He just shook his head giving her his answer.

"It gets worse," Reid said quietly.

"There's more?" asked Rossi.

"What could be worse than hearing My Chocolate Adonis tell somebody he's going to kill them, and have that same person turn up dead later?" asked Garcia.

Reid looked at the group with an expression telling them he regretted what he was about to say. "Before I arrived at her home today, she said she had left a phone message for Internal Affairs but hadn't heard from them yet."

It got so quiet a person could have heard a pin drop.

"She _called_ Internal Affairs?" JJ said wide-eyed.

Reid nodded.

"Why?" asked a tearful tech analyst. She wiped her wet cheeks.

"At first she didn't believe Derek could be guilty of this. But the more she thought about it, she began to recall what happened in Macklin's office that day, how enraged Derek was, and knowing how protective he is of those he cares about, she changed her mind. So she phoned Internal Affairs and left a message."

"If she hasn't heard from them yet, that tells me they may not have picked up the message yet," Rossi said. "But they will."

"What are we going to do now?" asked Penelope.

Rossi took out his cell and scrolled down his list of contacts until he came to Morgan's. "I gotta speak with Morgan and find out why he omitted this information when we spoke. And he better have a damn good reason." As the phone rang, he sat the cell in front of him and pushed the speaker button so everyone could hear and waited.

* * *

Derek Morgan slammed the door shut behind him after walking into his home. After he had left the hospital following visiting Hotch, he decided not to go directly home, and drove around for awhile to settle his nerves. While he was glad Hotch had come out of his coma, he was frustrated because the man had no memory of what happened the night of his attack. That meant the Unit Chief wouldn't be able to clear him with Internal Affairs. And while there was always a chance he might regain his memory at some point either completely or partially, there was the nagging possibility Hotch might never remember. And with people like Flaxen determined to hang him for murder and attempted murder, he worried the team might not be able to find what they needed to clear his name. In fact, Morgan truly believed if he was investigating himself, he'd find himself guilty.

Running a hand over his bald head, he decided he needed a cold beer and a sandwich. Not having had time to eat before Rossi had called him about Hotch earlier, he heard his stomach growl. He started to walk into the kitchen when his cell vibrated. He pulled it out of his pocket and noticed it was Rossi. He put the phone to his ear.

"Morgan," he said.

"Derek, we need to clear up a few things regarding the three women you and I discussed earlier."

"What things?"

"It seems you omitted a few things."

Morgan let out a deep breath. "Can't we do this later, man? I'm hungry and I'm tired."

"I'm afraid it can't wait," Rossi said.

Just then someone pounded loudly on the door.

Morgan turned around and walked back to the door, still holding the cell to his ear. He opened the door and found Flaxen and Mason standing on his front steps. Neither man was smiling; in fact, both men appeared pissed.

"C'mon, you guys," Morgan complained wearily. "What d'ya want now?"

Flaxen shoved the search warrant against Morgan's chest which he clutched with his free hand.

"It's a search warrant, agent," Flaxen replied nastily. "It gives us the right to go through your place with a fine tooth comb." He and his partner pushed their way past Morgan and into his house without another word being said.

But over the cell, the rest of the BAU had heard every word.

"Derek, are you all right?" asked Rossi, worried.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm okay, man. Look, I gotta hang up now. We'll talk later, I promise."

"Okay. Call me when they leave and let us know what happened."

"Will do." Morgan ended the call and stood near his front door with arms folded across his broad chest and watched the agents as they went about searching his home.


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N: Sorry this chapter is so late. My depression kicks in around family-oriented holidays like Christmas. But I know it will go away after the holidays. I will not be writing again until after New Years. But I PROMISE to resume this story after New Years. Happy Holidays to all.**

 **Chapter 20**

"Why is Internal Affairs searching Derek's house?" asked Penelope, confused. "What do they hope to find?" She glanced at each of the others.

"My guess is they're looking for the fireplace poker Hotch was stabbed with, and the missing shirt that lost the button we found at Hotch's," Rossi explained.

"And proof he murdered the other three agents," Reid continued. "As well as the gun used to kill Macklin."

"Regardless," added Prentiss grimly. "I'm willing to bet the cognitive interview JJ and I did with Jack gave them what they needed to get the search warrant."

There was silence in the room as the team mulled over what they had been told. JJ ran a hand through her long blonde tresses. "Not to mention once Flaxen or Mason speaks with Beth Gilliam, Morgan's as good as convicted in their book."

So distracted by these thoughts, nobody noticed the silent exchange between Rossi and Garcia as their eyes met. Each knew what the other was thinking right now.

* * *

As Mason rummaged through the drawer of one night table, he spotted an address book shoved in the back of the drawer. After he removed it, he thumbed through it, and paused when he came to the 'D' section.

"Hey,come see this," he stated.

"What is it?" Flaxen remarked as he paused in his search of the clothes closet and looked over his partner's shoulder at what he held in his hands.

"Morgan's address book. Check out the name. Sound familiar?"

Flaxen's eyebrows arched. "Lanie Desmond? Isn't that the name of the woman who worked for Bryce DeGault, one of our murder victims?"

"Yeah," Mason said as he thumbed through more pages until he spotted another name. "Here's Beth Gilliam." He flipped through more pages. "And Sondra Willis."

"Gilliam worked for Gill Macklin, and Willis for Walter Hennessy, our other two murder victims," said Flaxen with a smirk. "This shows Morgan is connected to the women who worked for the three murdered men. We need to speak with these women and find out if they shared their troubles with Morgan." He smirked. "If they did, will that be enough to convince you he's guilty?"

"If they can implicate Morgan, then yes, it will go a long way in convincing me he is responsible of murder and attempted murder," Mason relented. "But I'd be even _more_ convinced if we can find the poker, the gun, and the shirt with the missing button in his possession."

"Bag it," Flaxen ordered Mason handing him the address book with a twisted grin. "Then let's continue searching for the shirt and poker. And if we're lucky, we'll find the gun used to kill Macklin as well."

* * *

After what seemed like hours, the agents reentered the living room and found Morgan seated on his sofa, legs crossed, drinking a bottle of beer. And though on the outside he looked to be at peace, the two IA agents knew that inside he was far from being at peace.

"You done finally?" he hissed refusing to look at the IA agents.

Flaxen smirked as he held up the clear cellophane evidence bag with the address book inside.

"How come you didn't tell us about your relationships with Beth Gilliam, Sondra Willis, and Lanie Desmond?"

"You didn't ask me," Morgan replied sarcastically, then took another drink of beer.

The blonde agent chuckled. "I suggest you can the wisecracks, agent, and consider getting yourself a lawyer," he replied just as sarcastically. "From where we stand, you're one step away from being arrested and charged with three counts of murder, and one count attempted murder. And mark my words, if Agent Hotchner dies, we will upgrade the attempted murder charge to murder."

Morgan didn't say anything. He again raised the bottle to his lips.

"Why don't you save us a lot of trouble, Agent Morgan," said Mason. "And tell us about your relationships with these women, and what led you to do what we all know you did. I'm sure you'll feel better once you get it off your chest."

This time Morgan glared at the agents. "Why should I admit to something I didn't do?"

"C'mon, agent," Mason smirked. "You've questioned suspects and tried getting them to confess. Internal Affairs isn't any different when we question suspects. Believe me, you'll feel much better afterward."

Morgan smirked. "Then why don't _you_ confess to it?"

The cocky expression on Mason's face was replaced with a dangerous one as his eyes narrowed into slits.

"I suggest you watch your mouth, Agent Morgan," he sneered. "Or I might be tempted to arrest you right here and now."

Morgan ground his lower jaw as his own eyes narrowed into slits and got to his feet.

"Get the hell outta my house!" he ordered.

Flaxen and Mason exchanged amused looks before walking toward the front door. The blonde man gripped and turned the door handle. He let Mason pass him and step outside the door. But as he started outside, he paused in the doorway and looked back at Morgan.

"You really should confess, agent," he said. "It might go easier on you if you do. But regardless, I _promise_ you we will expose you as the murderer you are. You have my word on that!" He stepped outside, and Morgan pushed the door violently so it slammed shut behind the man.

Now that he was alone, Morgan sat back down on his sofa, and sat the beer bottle on the coffee table. Grabbing his cell phone, he dialed Rossi's number and waited. He heard a click after one ring.

"They gone?" asked Rossi.

"Yeah, they just left a few minutes ago. Bastards."

"I'm putting you on speaker. Garcia, Reid, JJ and Prentiss are with me." He pressed the 'speaker' button so the others could hear.

"Are you all right, Sugar Shack?" asked Garcia nervously.

"Yeah, I'm okay Sweetness. Just a little unnerved by Flaxen and his lapdog Mason."

Rossi interjected. "Forgive me for interrupting this love fest between you two, but we really need to stay focused."

"Sorry," Morgan and Garcia said simultaneously.

"Forget it. Derek, did Flaxen and Mason take anything."

"Just my address book."

"Your address book?" asked JJ arching her eyebrows.

"Yeah. Then they asked me about my relationships with Beth, Sondra, and Lanie."

"What did you tell them?" asked Reid.

"I told 'em nothin', kid," the black agent said then paused. "I suspect that was what you wanted to talk to me about, isn't it, Rossi?"

"Yeah. It seems you 'accidentally' left your relationships with these women out when we talked earlier, and I demand to know why?"

"It was my personal business, man," Morgan declared angrily. "I deserve to keep somethings to myself."

"Yeah, well, your personal business just became the business of Internal Affairs."

"What are you sayin'?"

"I'm saying that Sondra Willis told JJ she believes you killed Walter Hennessy, and Beth Gilliam contacted IA regarding the murder of Gill Macklin."

"Oh man," Morgan sighed wearily as he massaged the back of his neck. "What about Lanie?"

"She mentioned the time you showed up late at her home with bruised and bloody knuckles, scratches on your forearms, and offered no explanation. Her words to Emily were that you looked like you had been in a fight. The next day Bryce DeGault was dead. Care to explain?"

Morgan ran a hand over his bald head. He realized things were getting out of hand. "I didn't kill Macklin, Rossi," he said. "Truth is a couple of kids tried to mug me and I fought 'em off. That's how I got the bruised and bloody knuckles and the scratches. I didn't tell Lanie because I didn't want to scare her after everything's she'd been through with DeGault. You have to believe me, man."

"I do believe you," said Rossi calmly. "I just wish you had trusted me enough to tell me the complete truth about your relationships with these women when we talked earlier."

"I'm sorry, man. I'm really, really sorry."

"Never mind that. We've got bigger fish to fry. Now that Beth contacted IA, once they speak with her, they're sure to question the other two. Gilliam, Willis, and Desmond can supply motives for all three murders. Plus your argument with Hotch gives you a motive for attempted murder. You stepped in a very deep pile, my friend."

"I suspected as much since Flaxen told me I should consider getting an attorney."

Rossi groaned and closed his eyes, massaging them with his thumb and forefinger as a headache was beginning. This entire plan of Aaron's was going to hell and quickly from where he sat, and he knew Garcia realized it too. They had no suspects, and no leads as to who their inside person might be. It was time to pull the plug.

"Rossi?" he heard Emily say. "You okay?"

The older man opened his eyes and looked at the brunette. "Yeah, I'm fine." He then looked in Garcia's direction. The look in her eyes confirmed for him that his decision had been the right one.

"Derek, I have to pull the plug on this entire thing," he said. "This has gone on long enough, and we're gonna need everybody's help."

Rossi detected sadness in the black man's tone.

"Please, man, don't do that. No matter how bad things are right now, we need to see this through. For Hotch we need to see this through."

"I'm sorry, Derek, I really am," the older man stated. "But this has gotten way out of hand."

"Please listen to 'im, Derek," Garcia begged. "You're about to be arrested. I couldn't stand to see you in handcuffs and behind bars like a common criminal."

Morgan licked his suddenly dry lips. He hated to hear his Baby Girl beg. He knew what this was doing to her, and how much he had asked of her when he insisted she keep this secret from the others.

"Okay, momma. You win."

Reid, JJ, and Emily all exchanged puzzled looks.

"What's gone on long enough?" asked Prentiss. "Is there something we don't know that perhaps we should?"

Rossi rubbed his palms together slowly. He knew what disclosing this would do to the team, and to the relationship they had with each other. But solving this case and exonerating Morgan was worth the risk.

"Yeah. Yeah, there is. Morgan and I need to confess a secret we've been keeping from the rest of you."

* * *

Rossi waited for the others to respond to what they had been told. He looked in each person's direction to see if he could read their reactions. But all he saw in their eyes besides anger, was disappointment and betrayal. In fact, it was as if all the oxygen had been sucked out of the room as nobody moved or spoke.

Spencer jumped up from his chair, knocking it back, and stormed out the door. Garcia tried to grab his arm and stop him, but the young agent was too quick for her.

"Reid…." Garcia said as she quickly got to her feet planning to follow and try and stop him. And though he couldn't see anything, Morgan knew Garcia would be the one to go after Reid.

"Let 'im go, Sweetness," said his sad voice over the phone. "He needs a few minutes." Of all his teammates, the black agent knew it would be Reid who would take this revelation the hardest.

Garcia slowly sat back down with eyes glistening. She was beginning to wish she had never agreed to any of this despite the risks involved.

"How could you keep this from us?" asked Prentiss, dark eyes blazing at the older man. "You had no right to do this!"

"And Garcia," JJ stared at the Godmother of her eldest son, Henry. "You of all people should have told us. I'm shocked at you for even being a part of this! How could you?"

"Don't blame Penelope," Rossi calmly explained. "We didn't leave her much choice."

"It wasn't easy," Penelope quietly admitted. "It's not that we didn't trust you guys, because we do. It's that we couldn't afford a slip-up of any kind. Just one wrong word could have cost Hotch and Derek their lives. I couldn't let that happen."

JJ sadly shook her head. "With all the years we've worked together, you didn't trust us to be able to keep this quiet and prevent slip-ups?" she said. "If I wasn't feeling so angry and betrayed right now, I'd find this excuse of yours laughable."

"So would I," Emily agreed. "And what about Jack and his aunt? I suppose you withheld the truth from them as well?"

"Yes," Rossi admitted sorrowfully. "Look, we're sorry to have kept this from the rest of you," said Rossi. "But Morgan and I were trying to carry out Aaron's plan, and he didn't want the rest of you involved, and we were trying to honor that. As for Jack and his aunt, it is necessary for now that they both believe Morgan is responsible for the same reason. But we promise that we will tell them the truth as soon as this case is solved. So if you can't accept what we've told you as a reason why we did this, then I don't know what else we can say."

There was silence for a few minutes. But before anybody could open their mouth to respond, the door to the conference room opened. Spencer Reid, looking slightly calmer now, strode inside and sat back down in his chair.

"You all right, Reid?" asked Garcia.

"I'm still angry with you, Garcia. You, Morgan, and Rossi. You three withheld information from us. And deceiving Jack and his aunt is wrong. But I understand why you did it. You did it to not only carry out Hotch's plan which, while I do not agree with the part where he used himself as bait, but to protect his life and Morgan's. And jeopardizing a friendship by trying to protect someone's life is, to me anyway, very commendable and should be recognized as such. Therefore, while I can't speak for the others, I say we give Rossi, Garcia, and Morgan the benefit of a doubt, pull together as a unit, and work this case the way Hotch would expect it to be worked. The UnSub is still out there, and Hotch is still in danger, so I suggest we find him before he decides Hotch should die."

Rossi and Garcia smiled at each other.

"Thank you, Pretty Boy," Morgan said over the phone.

JJ and Prentiss exchanged looks.

"Spence is right," JJ admitted as she studied Garcia's face. She noticed the hurt in the tech analyst's eyes. "Garcia, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you. I hope you can forgive me."

Garcia smiled. "Nothing to forgive, Sunshine."

Prentiss licked her lips. "I'm sorry, too," she said. "Garcia, Rossi, Morgan, I'm sorry. Please forgive me."

"Nothing to forgive, Princess," said Morgan happily.

"What he said, my Raven-Haired Beauty," added Garcia.

"And you promise to tell Jack and Jessica the truth when this is over?" Prentiss inquired arching one eyebrow looking at the older man.

"You have my word."

The brunette nodded. "Okay," she said.

"Thank you," said Rossi with a grin. "Now let's find this guy and end this."

* * *

He had thought a lot about Aaron Hotchner over the past several hours. Wracked his brain to figure a way to eliminate him which wouldn't bring attention to himself. But so far he'd been unable to come up with anything viable.

He knew he'd have no trouble getting past the guards outside Hotchner's room. With his FBI credentials, they'd let him into the agent's room easily. The problem was coming up with a way to kill him, and have Derek Morgan take the blame for his death. But he would keep thinking and wouldn't stop until he'd found an answer. He couldn't take a chance Hotchner might remember something, and was not about to go to prison.

He really didn't want to kill Hotchner because despite everything, the man was still a single dad. He would have preferred letting him live, see if he had learned anything from his beating, and change his ways. After all, it still wasn't too late for a man to change. But once he heard the doctor say the agent _could_ possibly regain his memory, it no longer mattered whether it was in full or partly. Letting Hotchner live was just taking too much of a risk.

He put aside coming up with a plan for now, and began recalling what had landed Hotchner in this position to begin with. Two reasons came to mind, with one being in the Bureau's records.

The circumstances of the death of Hotchner's ex-wife by George Foyet, aka The Reaper, was in the FBI files. He had told himself there were other ways Hotchner could have handled the Foyet situation that would have left Haley alive. But he didn't take any of those. Therefore the Unit Chief was, to him, responsible for her murder. And as tragic as this was, he really hoped this would have taught Hotchner something and make him change his ways. (1) But sadly that wasn't to be the case.

Then came the case in New York in which Agent Kate Joyner was killed by a bomb blast in which Hotchner was also injured. Agent Morgan had been ordered to take over the now vacant Unit Chief position in the New York office after the death of Joyner. (2)

But what did Hotchner do? He refused to recommend Morgan for the position.

But because the man had a young child, he cut Hotchner more slack than he had the others, even though the agent now had two strikes against him. But when he refused to support Morgan for the Omaha job that was the last straw. He no longer cared if the man was a single father. As far as he was concerned, Hotchner proved he would never change, and needed to be punished.

* * *

(1)The episode in which Haley Hotchner died, was entitled '100', Season 5.

(2) The episodes in which Kate Joyner dies and Morgan is offered the NY job is LO-FI, Season 3, & MAYHEM, Season 4.


	21. Chapter 21

*****I am delighted after being informed that Guilty Until Proven Innocent has been nominated for Best Angst for the Profilers Award.*****

 **Chapter 21**

When Hochstein walked into Hotch's hospital room, he found the agent gazing at him. He was in what could best be described as a 'semi-upright' position which allowed the least dizziness as he studied the doctor.

"Good evening, Agent Hotchner. Do you know who I am?"

Hotch nodded. "Doc…tor…Hoch…stein…" He swallowed the lump in his throat as he was unable to read this man, and it made him nervous. He hated not being able to read someone.

Hochstein smiled. "That's right. And how are you feeling this evening?" he asked after glancing at the chart in his hands.

Hotch sighed. "O…k," he managed. The agent sensed the doctor had something to tell him, and despite the pain, he shifted his head on his pillow, and winced painfully. "Tell…me…" he urged the doctor. "Wan…to…know."

Hochstein continued to smile as two male nurses and two female nurses walked into the room. He spotted his patient's anxious look.

"It's nothing serious," Hochstein assured him. "In fact, I'm bringing you good news."

Hotch arched both eyebrows. "What?"

"You've proven you're able to keep breathing on your own, so we're moving you to a private room."

"When?"

"Right now," the doctor said as the nurses continued disconnecting the machines, and laying the IV bags on the edge of the bed. Once that was done, they prepared to roll the entire bed out the open door.

The Unit Chief smiled despite the discomfort. "My son…visit…now." He was thrilled knowing that now he'd be able to see his son whom he missed desperately. And seeing Jack will give him a chance to see his son was okay, or if he had been affected by what had happened.

* * *

Flaxen slammed his hand angrily on his desk after he and Mason walked into the blonde man's cubicle. He was angry. Angry because the only thing they had found while conducting their search of Morgan's house was an address book. He turned to his partner when he heard chuckling.

"What's so damn funny?" he asked the black man who appeared amused.

"You didn't expect to find that shirt still in Morgan's possession, did you?" Mason inquired folding his arms.

The blonde man took in and let out a deep breath, and sadly shook his head. "I was hoping," he admitted. "But at least we can now prove Morgan's connection with the three women who were having problems with their bosses. The same bosses who turned up dead later." His eyes narrowed when he spotted a slip of paper on his desk being held in place by the paperweight he kept on his desk. He picked it up and read it. A slow smile appeared on his face. "Don't go back to your cubicle yet," he told Mason. "We're going back out."

"Why? Where are we going?"

"A Beth Gilliam called while we were out," Flaxen explained.

Mason arched his eyebrows. "The same Beth Gilliam who worked for Gill Macklin?"

"The same. Seems she has something we should know about Derek Morgan." He walked out of his cubicle with Mason behind him.

* * *

Jessica Brooks had barely stepped inside her home when she was slammed into by a small tornado colliding with her legs. Looking down, she smiled as Jack wrapped his short arms around her legs looking up into her face.

"Did you see daddy?" he asked excitedly. "Did you give him my card? Did he like it?"

"No, I didn't give him your card. Let me close the door, sit down, and we'll talk."

Hearing her words caused the child's body to stiffen. She hadn't given his dad the card he had made for him. Did this mean his aunt had something bad to tell him about his dad? Had he died and she was trying to find a way to tell him? Was he now an orphan?

Jessica closed the door, sat down on the sofa, and waited as her nephew climbed up onto the sofa. He sat down beside her and studied her face.

"Aunt Jess, did…did daddy die?" he asked, lower lip trembling and tears threatening to fall. "Is that why you didn't give him my card?" The tears began rolling down his face.

The woman gasped when she heard the question. She wondered what made her nephew ask that question. But seconds later, she realized it was because of what she had implied when she said they would 'talk.' At his age, Jack had taken those words to heart and interpreted it to mean she had bad news to tell him.

She put an arm around the boy's shoulders and hugged him close to her, laying the side of her face on the top of his head. Seconds later, she straightened up, put a hand under his chin, and lifted his face so she could stare into his moist eyes.

"Jack, I want you to listen to me. Your dad did not die. He is very much alive. And I did see him. He is doing as well as can be expected. Believe me when I tell you he misses and loves you very, very much."

"Then why didn't you give him my card?" he sniffled. "You promised you would give it to him." At this point the child wasn't sure what to believe.

"Sweetie, I didn't give him your card because your dad's doing so well, he's being moved into a private room by himself. In other words, you can give him your card yourself." She watched her nephew's face instantly brighten.

Getting to his knees while on the sofa, the boy leaped into his aunt's arms, burying his chin on her shoulder. "Really?! I can see daddy?" He pulled back and stared at his aunt. "Can we go tomorrow? Can I stay home from school so we can go? I wanna see dad early and spend the whole day with him! I miss him so much!"

Jess hugged him again. "I don't know about spending the whole day with him, Jack, because he still needs his rest. But yes, you can stay home from school tomorrow and we'll visit him after breakfast. I promise."

"Thanks, Aunt Jess. You're the best!"

* * *

It was seven-forty-five p.m. when two women and a man walked through the front doors of the hospital. A matronly-looking, full-figured, blonde nurse behind the nurse's station counter, looked up from her computer as the trio approached.

"Can I help you?" she asked smiling at the trio.

The threesome produced their credentials, and held them up for her to peruse.

"Yes, I'd like to know if Agent Aaron Hotchner is still able to receive visitors?" asked one woman, a blonde, as she put her credentials back in her inside pocket.

The nurse, whose name tag read: Doris, was caught off guard with how young the man before her looked to be an FBI agent. He more resembled a college student or a teacher's aide in her eyes. "Yes, he is, agents. You're just in time, in fact. Visiting hours end at eight-thirty on weekdays."

"Thank you," the blonde replied as the trio started to walk away.

"You're welcome. Agent Jareau?"

"Yes?" the blonde asked as she and the others, having not walked far, returned to the nurse's station.

"Agent Hotchner's been moved out of ICU and into a private room earlier this evening." The nurse typed on her computer keyboard. "Here it is," she said glancing upward. "He's been moved to room 431. Just take the elevator to the fourth floor, and check with the nurse's station there."

"Thank you."

The threesome walked toward the bank of elevators down the hall, and the brunette pressed the 'up' button. After a few seconds, there was a 'ding' as the doors of one car hissed open, and they stepped inside, the doors closing behind them. The ride upward was a silent one as each person was lost in thought.

Reaching the fourth floor, the doors hissed open again, and the trio stepped out into the hall. They spotted the nurse's station at the opposite end of the long hall, but instead went in search of room 431 themselves. It didn't take them long to find the room in question, and notice the guards Rossi had assigned to protect their Unit Chief. As they came closer, they pulled out their credentials again. Once the guards acknowledged the credentials, they were allowed to proceed. The blonde opened the door and the trio warily entered.

Hotch seemed to be asleep with his face looking toward the ceiling with the head of the bed still in its semi-upright position. As the door opened, he opened his eyes a crack and turned toward the door. A smile appeared as he spotted the three agents enter.

They took in the machines and wires crisscrossing the Unit Chief's body as they cautiously approached the bed. Reid sat in one hard plastic chair beside the head of the bed. Pulling the strap of his messenger bag over his head, he sat the bag on the floor beside his feet. He tentatively reached out and gripped one of his boss's hands in his. He needed this connection with Hotch; to feel the warmth of his skin in order to prove to himself that the man was alive.

JJ sat in the chair on the opposite side at the head of the bed. She rested one hand gently on her supervisor's shoulder. Like Reid, she needed to feel a physical connection with her boss.

Emily sat on the edge of the bed at Hotch's feet studying her boss. She smiled fondly at the man as she rested a hand on one of his covered legs "Hotch, I'm sorry we haven't had a chance to come and see you since you regained consciousness before now. It's just…that is, we have been working hard to find out who did this to you. But we had a little time this evening and thought we'd stop by and see you." The Unit Chief's eyes met hers, and he smiled.

"Em…'ly…" he muttered. He shifted his eyes to the blonde. "JJ…"

JJ smiled as she squeezed his shoulder. "Hotch, it's so good to finally see your eyes open, and be able to talk to you instead of at you," She had always thought of Hotch as the older brother she never had in addition to being her boss. The fear of almost losing him had nearly shattered her. If that had happened, it would have been like losing a member of her own family.

Hotch then looked at the young genius as he turned his eyes in Reid's direction.

"Reid…wha…wrong?"

Spencer spoke hesitantly. "I…I was so scared we would lose you…that I would lose you. You're like a father figure to me, Hotch. Have been since Gideon left."

The Unit Chief smiled affectionately while looking at his youngest member. "Not…easy…t'get…rid of…me."

Reid smiled as he gently squeezed Hotch's hand and continued staring at his boss, his eyes bright with unshed tears.

Adjusting his position in bed, Hotch squeezed his eyes shut momentarily and grimaced as a wave of pain shot through him. Reid felt the pressure increase on his hand.

"Hotch, what's wrong?" asked JJ, panicking, seeing his face. "Should I get the doctor?" She glanced at the others who were as panicked as she.

"No…" the man hissed. A few seconds later, his face relaxed. He opened his eyes and let out a deep sigh. "Shud…n't…have moved," he said.

"Don't worry about it," said Emily running her hand up and down his covered leg gently. "Are you sure you're okay? Can we get you anything?"

"Water."

"You got it," Reid replied as he was the closest. He spotted the picture of water on the nearby table, and a plastic cup with a straw in it beside the pitcher. He reached over and filled the cup with cool water, and held it close.

"Here," Reid said as he brought the cup close to his boss and guided the straw in Hotch's mouth, letting his boss drink. As he drank the cool water, a grimace came over his face.

"Careful, Hotch," Reid advised. "You need to take small sips."

The Unit Chief soon stopped sipping from the straw. "Than…u," he managed to say.

"You're welcome," Reid replied sitting the cup back on the table. He swallowed the growing lump in his throat. "Maybe we should go. You need your rest."

"Plea…stay," Hotch struggled to say. He could feel himself becoming drowsy, and was sure it was apparent to the others. But he so wanted them to stay a bit longer. To tell the truth, he desperately wanted the company.

"Are you sure, Hotch?" asked Prentiss. "We won't be upset if you want us to leave."

The Unit Chief glanced at all three of them one at a time. "Wan…comp…'knee."

JJ grinned. "We'll stay another five minutes, but that's all. You need rest."

The trio all exchanged smiles seeing their supervisor smile at them.

"IA…give…Moor…gan…trub…ble?"

"We're handling it," Prentiss explained. "There's no need for you to worry about anything. All you have to do is just get well and come back to us and Jack."

"Jack…how…is he?"

"He's okay, really. He misses you, of course," JJ replied hoping Hotch believed her story. She recalled Rossi's warning not to tell Hotch anything about the cognitive interview they held with Jack. Not yet anyway.

But Hotch's eyes narrowed as he stared at the blonde. He suspected he wasn't being told something. And when that something involved his son, he didn't like being kept in the dark.

"Ur not…tell…lin' me…ev'ry…'thing…" the words came out a bit harsher than he wanted. But his eyes told the blonde he knew she was withholding something about his son from him.

"I swear, Hotch, I am being truthful. Jack is fine. He's just worried about you and misses you like crazy. That's all."

But before he could answer, Hotch yawned proving how tired he really was. JJ glanced at the others, her blue eyes indicating they should leave and let Hotch get some sleep. She leaned over the Unit Chief and pressed her lips gently to his forehead, before straightening up.

"I think we'd better let you get some rest, Aaron," she said calling him by his first name which she seldom did, and only in private. She was actually glad he was falling asleep as she wouldn't have to think of something to tell him so as not to tell him the truth about Jack.

Hotch smiled as his heavy eyes fluttered shut. "So…tired…"

"We'll stop by again, soon," said Reid squeezing his boss's hand before placing it back on the bed. He then grabbed his messenger bag from the floor.

"Next time we'll try and stay a bit longer," said Emily patting his leg before getting to her feet.

There was no response from Hotch other than a gently snoring. The three agents quietly left the room after one last fond look at their Unit Chief. As they walked down the hall to the elevator, nobody said much of anything as having seen the condition of their supervisor had stunned them. They stepped into the elevator once the car door's opened and closed.

Prentiss pushed the 'down' button. As the car began its descent, Reid spoke while staring at a spot on the vinyl floor.

"I'm glad we didn't have to tell Hotch anything about Jack," said Prentiss.

"So am I," JJ agreed. "I had no idea what to say if he had insisted on knowing. But now that he suspects something is up with his son, we'd better tell Rossi. He'll know how to handle Hotch and what to say to him."

The rest of the elevator ride was silent until it reached the ground floor. The doors hissed open, and the trio stepped out of the car and headed toward the exit. As they left the hospital and made their way through the parking lot, Reid shoved his hands into his pants pockets. He had been silent until now.

"You think Hotch will recover?" he asked as they headed in the direction of their vehicle.

Both women looked at him not sure who he was speaking to.

"The doctor told Rossi Hotch was getting stronger," Emily said.

"It's gonna take time, Spence," JJ added. "We just have to be there for him no matter what or how long it takes."

Reid raised his head and looked between the two women. "I don't mean physically," he said. "I mean _will_ he recover?"

"What exactly are you saying or trying to say?" asked JJ arching her eyebrows. Reid pursed his lips but didn't answer. He didn't want to say what he feared out loud.

Prentiss paused and stared at Reid as she realized what he was trying to say in a roundabout way had finally come to her. "Hotch is young and he's strong. And he has Jack and he has us. I won't lie and tell you it'll be easy for him, but he will get through this. Why? Something tells you otherwise?"

"I don't know if I could recover if I found out somebody I knew had done to me what was done to Hotch," he uttered quietly. The threesome got into their vehicle.

"That's one reason we need to be there for him," JJ emphasized now understanding what the genius was hinting at. "If it turns out somebody he knows did this to him, we need to have his back."

"And we will regardless," said Prentiss as she opened the driver's side door and slid behind the wheel.


	22. Chapter 23

Guilty Until Proven Innocent

Chapter 22

This is not a regular chapter, but I just wanted to let my readers know that I haven't forgotten or abandoned this story by any means. There has been a lot happening and my mind isn't functioning where this story is concerned right now, so I decided to put it on the back burner for the moment.

So in order to get rid of the block I have with this story, I have started a Crossover with Criminal Minds & the original Law and Order. I hope by the time I finish this crossover I can return to my CM story and resume it.

As far as the crossover goes, the 1st part is Law and Order; the 2nd part is CM; and the 3rd part is combining the two fics.

But I assure everyone I will complete my CM story at some point.


End file.
